Bangladesh orders indefinite ban on IPL telecast after Mustafizur Rahman exclusion

Bangladesh said that the decision to exclude Mustafizur from IPL has 'pained, saddened, and aggrieved' the people of Bangladesh.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision urging the release of Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the upcoming season of the IPL has snowballed into a major controversy in the cricketing world. In the latest development, the Government of Bangladesh has called for a ban on the telecast of all IPL matches in the country.

Stating that the decision to exclude Mustafizur from IPL has "pained, saddened, and aggrieved the people of Bangladesh", the Bangladesh government said, "Under these circumstances, until further notice, a request is made as per instructions to stop the broadcast/telecast of all matches and programmes of the Indian Premier League (IPL)."

On January 4, Sunday, Bangladesh had requested their matches at next month's T20 World Cup to be shifted from India to Sri Lanka.

Political relations between India and Bangladesh soured after a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 toppled the then government of Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi. The two countries' relation further went downhill after recent atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh made headlines.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), after an emergency meeting on Sunday, said it had "formally requested" the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their games to Sri Lanka.

"The Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions," a BCB statement read.

It said its decision was made due to "growing concerns regarding the safety and security" of its players, and based on its government's advice.

Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was on Saturday released by the Kolkata Knight Riders after the IPL team was "advised" by BCCI to do so, following tensions between the neighbouring nations.

Earlier, Asif Nazrul, Youth and Sports Adviser in the interim government, said that Dhaka "will not accept any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers and Bangladesh under any circumstances."