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NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday decided against sending its national team to India for the T20 World Cup next month, citing security concerns and following government advice.

The decision came in the wake of IPL franchise KKR releasing pacer Mustafizur Rahman on the instruction of the BCCI.

Although the BCCI did not explicitly link its move to the current India-Bangladesh relations, it did state that the decision was triggered by ongoing developments across the board.

Rahman’s sudden exit from the IPL prompted the BCB to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday night. A day later, the board’s Directors met again and decided that the national team will not travel to India for the T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 7.

“The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India,” said the BCB in a statement.

“Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and considering the advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions.”

Request to shift matches to Sri Lanka

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will now need to address the issue, as Bangladesh are scheduled to play all four of their league games in India.

Following the arrangement made for Pakistan, Bangladesh has requested that all their matches be shifted to Sri Lanka, the co-host of the tournament.

“In light of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC), as the event authority, to consider relocating all of Bangladesh matches to a venue outside India (co-host Sri Lanka),” the statement read.

“The Bangladesh Cricket Board looks forward to the ICC’s understanding of the situation and an urgent response on this matter.”

Even before the BCB’s formal announcement, government advisor Asif Nazrul confirmed on Facebook that the board had decided not to send the team to India.

“Bangladesh will not go to India to play World Cup. Bangladesh Cricket Board has taken this decision today. We welcome this decision taken in the context of the violent communal policy of the Cricket Board of India,” he wrote in Bengali, translated.

Following the emergency meeting, Nazrul said he instructed the board to ask Jay Shah-led ICC to shift Bangladesh’s four league games — three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai — to Sri Lanka.

“As the adviser in charge of the Ministry of Sports, I have instructed the Cricket Control Board to put the entire matter in writing and explain it to the ICC,” Nazrul wrote on Facebook.

“The board must make it clear that if a Bangladeshi cricketer, despite being under contract, cannot play in India, then the Bangladesh national team cannot feel safe travelling to India to play the World Cup.

“I have also directed the board to formally request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka instead,” he added.

Mustafizur’s IPL ouster

The Shah Rukh Khan co-owned IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who was bought for Rs 9.20 crore following a bidding war at last month’s auctions in Abu Dhabi, after acting on the BCCI’s instructions.

The Indo-Bangladesh relationship has worsened since the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year following anti-government protests.

She was later sentenced to death in absentia by a tribunal over her alleged role in a violent crackdown during the agitation, in which several students were killed.

Since Hasina’s ouster, Hindus have reportedly been targeted in violent attacks.

IPL broadcast to be suspended in Bangladesh?

Nazrul also mentioned that he has requested the adviser for Bangladesh’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) to suspend IPL broadcasts in the country.

“I have requested the adviser for Information and Broadcasting to ensure that the broadcast of the IPL in Bangladesh is also suspended.

“Under no circumstances will we tolerate any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers, or Bangladesh itself. The days of servitude are over,” he said.

There is reportedly some disbelief within BCB corridors over how the situation escalated, particularly after India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended former PM Khaleda Zia’s funeral in Dhaka.

“The BCB announced the schedule for India’s tour of Bangladesh because there was a sense of positivity, but now we need to get an official confirmation from the Indian board as to why Mustafizur’s contract was cancelled,” a BCB source told PTI on condition of anonymity.

(With PTI Inputs)