Bangladesh has banned the Indian Premier League (IPL) from broadcasting in the country following the controversial release of fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman by IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), officials confirmed.
Speaking on the matter, Bangladesh Information and Broadcasting Adviser Rizwana Hasan said the country’s sentiments were hurt over Rahman’s removal, adding, “We had to give India an appropriate response.” She criticized India for escalating tensions instead of using sports and cultural exchanges to ease political strains.
Rizwana Hasan emphasized that Bangladesh will not accept the reasons given for Rahman’s IPL release. Her statement received support from Indian scholar and politician Shashi Tharoor, who commented, “She is absolutely correct.”
The controversy erupted after Hindu extremist threats led KKR to release Rahman. In response, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held an emergency meeting and recommended that the national team not travel to India for the T20 World Cup, citing player security as the top priority. The BCB has formally requested the ICC to move Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka.
As the latest development, the Bangladesh government has imposed a ban on IPL broadcasts in the country, further intensifying the diplomatic and sporting fallout from the incident.
