🔗 Share this article

In a major development, Bangladesh has declared it refuses to travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled for next month "under current conditions" and has asked the ICC to relocate its matches to another venue.

This stance follows the withdrawal of Bangladeshi pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman by his Indian Premier League team at the request of the Indian cricket authorities, a situation that has escalated ongoing political strains between the countries.

Urgent Discussions Culminates in Formal Request

Following this, an emergency meeting was convened by the BCB, which has now stated it has "officially asked" the global cricket body to relocate all of Bangladesh's matches.

"The board believes that this measure is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of our national players, support staff, board members and other stakeholders and to ensure that the team can participate in the tournament in a secure and appropriate environment," the board's statement read.

Tournament Chaos Threatened Amid Strained Relations

This decision risks causing chaos to a competition scheduled to begin on February 7th and has already been affected by political tensions involving other nations.

Bangladesh are due to play all four group-stage matches in India, featuring an opening day fixture against West Indies and a high-profile game against England in Kolkata on February 14th.

The tournament is being jointly hosted by Sri Lanka, where all Pakistan's matches will be played because of the ongoing tensions with India.

Roots of the Strain

The death of a individual during violent protests in Bangladesh pushed frayed ties between Bangladesh and India into a deeper crisis.

The man was accused of blasphemy and beaten to death by a mob in Bangladesh, an episode that led to demonstrations by certain groups in the neighboring country.

Furthermore, anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh has reportedly grown in the recent period.

Concerning Mustafizur Rahman, he was withdrawn from his Indian Premier League agreement recently.

No official reason for the decision was given by the Indian board, though a secretary alluded to "recent developments".

Board's Firm Position

"The BCB assessed the circumstances in detail, considering developments over the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of Bangladesh in matches planned to be played in India," the statement continued.

"After a thorough assessment of the current conditions and the increasing worries about the safety and security of the Bangladeshi delegation in India... the board of directors resolved that the national team will not travel to India for the tournament as things stand."

The ICC have yet to comment publicly.

T20 World Cup Roster Announced:

• Litton Das (captain)
• Saif Hassan
• Tanzid Hasan
• Parvez Hossain Emon
• Towhid Hridoy
• Shamim Hossain
• Nurul Hasan (wicket-keeper)
• Mahedi Hasan
• Rishad Hossain
• Nasum Ahmed
• Mustafizur Rahman
• Tanzim Hasan Sakib
• Taskin Ahmed
• Mohammad Saifuddin
• Shoriful Islam