Dhaka, Jan 4 (UNI) The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday announced that its national team would not travel to India for the ICC T20 World Cup and formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate all its matches, citing serious safety and security concerns.
An emergency meeting of the BCB Board of Directors was held on Sunday afternoon to review the evolving situation surrounding the tournament, which is scheduled to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka later this year. The Board expressed “deep concern” over the participation of the Bangladesh contingent in matches slated to be played on Indian soil.
“Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and after considering advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board resolved that the national team would not travel to India under the current conditions,” a BCB media release said.
The BCB emphasised that the step was necessary “to safeguard the well-being of the players, team officials, Board members and other stakeholders and to ensure that the team can participate in the tournament in a secure and appropriate environment”.
The BCB did not elaborate on the specific developments that led to the security concerns but stressed that the decision was taken after “careful consideration of all factors” and with the safety of the national team as the paramount priority.
However, the development comes a day after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their Indian Premier League (IPL) squad, following an instruction from the Indian cricket board. The BCCI gave the directive in the wake of intensifying protests over Rahman’s inclusion in the KKR squad.
Meanwhile, in its formal request to the ICC, the BCB sought relocation of all matches featuring Bangladesh to venues outside India. The BCB hoped for a swift response from the ICC, highlighting the urgency of the situation as preparations for the T20 World Cup intensify.
The Board said it remained committed to full participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and hoped that the ICC would accommodate its request in order to protect the interests of Bangladesh cricket.
