theTripurapost News Images

Bangladesh Halts IPL Telecast Over Mustafizur Row

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
  • Jan 05, 2026
  • 708

The Bangladesh government’s decision to ban the broadcast of the Indian Premier League (IPL) marks a significant escalation in the intersection of sports, politics, and regional diplomacy in South Asia. The directive, issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday, suspends the promotion, broadcast, and rebroadcast of all IPL matches in Bangladesh until further notice.

The ban follows the exclusion of Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad ahead of the IPL season, scheduled to begin on March 26. In its official statement, the Bangladeshi government described the decision by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as lacking “sound or logical reasoning” and termed it insulting, unfortunate, and condemnable to the people of Bangladesh. The move was portrayed not merely as a sporting decision, but as one with broader national and emotional implications.

The controversy has unfolded against a backdrop of heightened political and communal tension. Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the KKR lineup on January 3, following public calls for his removal amid reports of violence against minority Hindus in Bangladesh. According to available reports, four members of the Hindu community have been killed in the country over the past 16 days, intensifying scrutiny and political pressure. Subsequently, the BCCI reportedly instructed Shah Rukh Khan-owned KKR to exclude the Bangladeshi pacer from the team, further fuelling diplomatic sensitivities.

The IPL ban came just a day after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced its refusal to send the national team to participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India. In a media release issued on Sunday, January 4, the BCB stated that it had formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate Bangladesh’s World Cup matches to Sri Lanka, citing security and political concerns.

This development mirrors earlier precedents in international cricket. Pakistan has already shifted its T20 World Cup matches to Sri Lanka, maintaining its long-standing policy of not playing cricket in India due to unresolved political disputes. Similarly, India did not tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy last year, and the highly anticipated India–Pakistan fixture is now scheduled to be played in Colombo rather than in either country.

Analysts warn that if Bangladesh’s matches are officially relocated to Sri Lanka, it could trigger a broader domino effect, encouraging other teams unwilling to travel to India due to political or security considerations to seek neutral venues. Such a scenario would undermine the host nation’s role and pose logistical and reputational challenges for the ICC.

The IPL broadcast ban, therefore, goes beyond a single player’s exclusion. It reflects how cricket in South Asia remains deeply entangled with national identity, communal tensions, and geopolitical rivalries. As sporting bodies struggle to maintain neutrality, the episode underscores the increasing difficulty of insulating international cricket from the region’s volatile political landscape.