‘Days of Slavery Are Over’: Bangladesh Demands T20 World Cup Away From India

After India pushed a Bangladeshi player to leave the Indian Premier League, Bangladesh will ask that their matches at the T20 World Cup next month take place in Sri Lanka.

In a statement published by the state-run BSS news agency on Sunday, Asif Nazrul, the interim government’s Youth and Sports Advisor, declared, “We will not accept any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers, and Bangladesh under any circumstances.”

He declared, “The days of slavery are over.”

Mustafizur Rahman, a fast bowler from Bangladesh, was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday after the Indian Premier League (IPL) side was “advised” to do so by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) due to tensions between the neighboring countries.

Nazrul declared that he had given the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) instructions to write to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

He stated, “The board should inform that the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to play in the World Cup if a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted.”

“I have also given the board instructions to ask for Sri Lanka to host Bangladesh’s World Cup matches.”

India and Sri Lanka will co-host the T20 World Cup, which gets underway on February 7.

Bangladesh’s four group games are slated to take place in India.

As part of an agreement that permits both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation competitions, Pakistan will play all of its games in Sri Lanka.

After then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a strong ally of New Delhi, was overthrown in a public upheaval in Dhaka in 2024, political ties between Bangladesh and India deteriorated.

Last month, the foreign ministry of India denounced what it described as “unremitting hostility against minorities” in Bangladesh, a country with a majority of Muslims.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, the temporary leader of Bangladesh, has accused India of inflating the extent of the violence.

The board will convene an emergency meeting later on Sunday, according to BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul.

He told reporters late on Saturday, “The security and dignity of our cricket players are our top priorities, and we will make a decision at the appropriate time keeping these in mind.”

Mustafizur, who has played in the IPL for several teams, was purchased by Kolkata at auction in December for almost $1 million.

However, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia stated that Kolkata had been “advised to release” the 30-year-old “considering recent developments.”

On March 26, the 2026 IPL season gets underway.

Nazrul stated that he will also request that Bangladeshi broadcasters not air the IPL.

He declared, “I have asked the Information and Broadcasting Adviser to cease broadcasting the IPL tournament in Bangladesh.”

Mustafizur’s “release has been carried out following due process and consultations,” according to Kolkata, which is primarily owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.