The interim government of Bangladesh has entered into a confrontation with India after the removal of star pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team.
On Saturday, Bangladesh’s Youth
and Sports Adviser, Dr Asif Nazrul, issued a scathing condemnation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), characterising the move as a national insult and calling for the relocation of upcoming T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka.
The row was ignited when the BCCI instructed KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman, who had been acquired for a staggering Rs 9.2 crore in last month’s IPL auction. The decision followed intense protests from certain political and religious groups in India, citing recent civil unrest and the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh.
In a forceful Facebook post, Dr Nazrul—who also holds the Law and Justice portfolio—accused the Indian cricket board of “bowing to extremist communal forces”.
He asserted that if a single contracted player cannot be guaranteed safety to participate in a domestic league, the Bangladesh national team cannot be expected to feel secure playing in India during the World Cup.
The interim government has moved quickly to institutionalise its protest through several key directives:
ICC Intervention: Dr Nazrul has instructed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to formally write to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to express safety concerns, specifically regarding the three World Cup matches scheduled to be played in Kolkata.
Venue Relocation: The government is demanding that Bangladesh’s fixtures be moved to Sri Lanka, citing a lack of confidence in Indian security arrangements.
Broadcasting Ban: In a rare move for international cricket, Dr Nazrul has requested the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to immediately stop the telecast of the IPL within Bangladesh, framing it as a refusal to accept any “insult to the country or its cricket”.
New Delhi has dismissed the outcry as internal political posturing. Top government sources told CNN-News18 that India remains fully committed to its international obligations and the safety of all visiting athletes.
Official sources noted that the ICC has received no formal request for a venue change and emphasised that sensitive bilateral or multilateral sporting matters cannot be adjudicated through social media declarations.
This crisis mirrors a similarly bitter row with Pakistan that dominated the sporting calendar throughout 2025. Tensions peaked during the Asia Cup in September, where the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, broke decades of tradition by refusing to shake hands with Pakistani players following a victory.
This act of “on-field diplomacy” was a direct response to Operation Sindoor, India’s military strike on terror camps in May 2025. The standoff reached a nadir when the Indian team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who served as both the PCB Chairman and Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister.
Sources say the precedent set by Pakistan, which had already moved to boycott matches in India after New Delhi refused to tour Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, is now being cited by Dhaka as a justification for its own demands for neutral venues.
