Bangladesh has taken a firm stand against sending its national cricket team to India for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, citing serious security concerns. The country’s sports advisor has reiterated that Bangladesh will not compromise on the safety, dignity, or honour of its players and officials.
Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul Voices Strong Opposition
Bangladesh government’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul confirmed on Wednesday that the national team remains unwilling to travel to India for the global event. He stated that the ICC has failed to fully understand the security issues raised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Nazrul made the remarks after holding detailed discussions with BCB directors, including Aminul Islam Bulbul and Faruque Ahmed, following the ICC’s response to Bangladesh’s request for a venue change.
ICC Response Fails to Convince Bangladesh
According to the BCB, the ICC reiterated its commitment to ensuring Bangladesh’s “full and uninterrupted participation” in the tournament. The ICC also expressed willingness to work closely with the BCB and assured that Bangladesh’s inputs would be considered during detailed security planning.
However, Nazrul made it clear that the response did not adequately address Bangladesh’s concerns.
Bangladesh to Send Fresh Letter to ICC
The BCB is now set to send another official communication to the ICC to further emphasize its stance.
“We sat together with the BCB directors — Bulbul bhai, Faruque bhai and everyone else. Today we discussed the situation, and we all agreed that Bangladesh earned qualification for the T20 World Cup through hard work. We are a cricket-crazy nation, and we definitely want to play,” Nazrul told reporters after the meeting.
‘No World Cup at the Cost of National Dignity’
Nazrul stressed that Bangladesh will not participate if it comes at the cost of national humiliation or security.
“But we do not want to play the World Cup at the cost of national humiliation, at the cost of the security of our cricketers, spectators and journalists, or at the cost of the country’s dignity,” he said.
“After reading the letter we received from the ICC today, it felt to us that they have not fully understood the serious security situation that has developed in India for Bangladeshi cricketers.”
Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL Release Cited as Key Concern
Nazrul also referenced Kolkata Knight Riders’ release of Mustafizur Rahman from IPL 2026 as a major indicator of the security situation.
“To me, it does not feel like only a security issue it feels like an issue of national humiliation as well. Still, we are primarily treating it as a security issue,” Nazrul said.
“When the Indian cricket board itself is telling the Kolkata team that they cannot provide security to this player and asking them to drop him from the team — that alone shows there is no environment in India where it is safe to play.”
Bangladesh Seeks to Play Matches in Sri Lanka
Bangladesh has clearly stated that it wants to participate in the T20 World Cup but prefers to play its matches in Sri Lanka, the tournament’s co-host.
“We do not want to go into the wider communal situation in India. But when it comes to the security of our cricketers, the security of Bangladesh, and the honour and dignity of Bangladesh, there will be no compromise,” Nazrul said.
“We want to play cricket, we want to play the World Cup, and since there is another host country, Sri Lanka, we want to play there. We are firm on this position.”
Final Decision Hinges on ICC’s Reply
Nazrul confirmed that the BCB has strong arguments and hopes the ICC will consider them fairly.
“Our first stand is to convince the ICC. We have strong arguments, and we will convince them with those arguments. The core principle of our stand is that on the question of Bangladesh’s security, Bangladesh’s honour and Bangladesh’s dignity, there will be no compromise. But we definitely want to play the Cricket World Cup.”
He added that the next course of action will depend entirely on the ICC’s response.
“The letter will be sent tonight or by tomorrow morning, and after that, whatever the situation becomes, we will sit and make a decision. So far, our decision is clear: we will explain to the ICC that there is no environment in India for us to play safely.”
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