Bangladesh has officially decided not to travel to India for next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, marking a sharp escalation in the sporting standoff between the two countries.
The decision was disclosed on Sunday by Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul, who described the move as a response to what he termed the “radical communal policy” of Indian cricket authorities. The announcement represents a significant shift from the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) earlier position, which had focused on seeking a change of venue rather than withdrawing entirely.
The move effectively amounts to a boycott of World Cup matches scheduled to be played on Indian soil and follows the controversial exclusion of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“Bangladesh will not go to India to play the World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board took this decision today,” Asif Nazrul wrote in a social media post. He said he welcomed the decision, describing it as necessary in light of developments involving the Indian cricket establishment.
The latest crisis was triggered on Saturday when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from their squad. The decision was subsequently celebrated by some Indian political figures as a “victory for Hindus”, language that has drawn strong condemnation from Dhaka and intensified diplomatic tensions around the issue.
Alongside the World Cup boycott, the Bangladesh government is also considering further measures affecting cricketing ties between the two countries. Information and Broadcasting Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said the administration is reviewing legal options to ban the broadcast of the 2026 IPL in Bangladesh.
“There is no way to sit silent; a reaction must be shown,” Rizwana Hasan said while speaking at the Secretariat. Her comments echoed earlier remarks by Asif Nazrul, who said Bangladesh could no longer tolerate what he described as discriminatory treatment, adding that “the days of slavery are over.”
The developments raise fresh uncertainty over Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup and signal a deepening rift in bilateral sporting relations, with potential implications for regional cricket and tournament logistics.
