Last Updated on January 5, 2026 6:03 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh’s interim government on Monday imposed an immediate and indefinite ban on the broadcast of the Indian Premier League (IPL), escalating a fast-deepening cricket and diplomatic row with India following the exclusion of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad.
In an official press release, the TV-2 wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said a directive issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) demanding Mustafizur’s release from KKR, without providing any explanation, had caused “deep pain, sadness and anger” among the people of Bangladesh. The order, signed by Assistant Secretary Mohammad Firoz Khan and circulated to Bangladesh Betar and all television channels, instructed broadcasters to “stop the telecast of all IPL matches and related programmes until further notice,” stating that the decision was taken “in the public interest” with approval from the competent authority.
The decision marks an unprecedented step in Bangladesh-India sporting relations. Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul said the move was a response to what he termed the Indian cricket authorities’ “radical communal policy,” adding on social media: “We won’t stand for any insult to Bangladesh’s cricket, cricketers and the country. The days of slavery are over.”
The IPL ban has triggered wider repercussions. On January 4, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) formally informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it would not send the national team to India for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 7. The BCB has requested that Bangladesh’s matches, originally slated for Kolkata and Mumbai, be shifted to co-host Sri Lanka, citing concerns over player safety and a breakdown in trust.
According to the original schedule, Bangladesh was to face West Indies (February 7), Italy (February 9) and England (February 14) in Kolkata, and Nepal (February 17) in Mumbai. The ICC, led by chairman Jay Shah, has reportedly begun drawing up a revised schedule after Bangladesh rejected Indian venues.