NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh government on Monday decided to halt the telecast of IPL 2026 matches in the country after the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to part ways with Mustafizur Rahman. The upcoming edition of the IPL is scheduled to begin on March 26.
The move comes in the wake of KKR confirming the exclusion of the Bangladesh pacer from their IPL 2026 squad, citing a directive from the BCCI that referenced concerns over reported atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh.
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"No logical reason for such a decision (Rahman's release) by the BCCI is known, and such a decision has saddened, hurt, and aggrieved the people of Bangladesh," read the government notification.
"In this situation, until further notice, it is requested by order to stop the broadcasting/telecasting of all matches and programs of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"This order is issued with the approval of the proper authority and in the public interest," said the signed by assistant secretary Feroz Khan.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday also decided against sending its national team to India for the T20 World Cup next month citing security concerns and government advice.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, while announcing the diktat to release Rahman, had merely stated that it was being done because of "developments all around", without explaining the specifics.
The Indo-Bangladesh relationship has hit a rocky patch after the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year following anti-government protests.
She was sentenced to death in absentia by a tribunal for her alleged role in a deadly crackdown during the agitation in which several students were killed.
Hindus have been targetted for violent attacks since Hasina's ouster.
(With PTI Inputs)
