The Bangladesh government on Monday ordered an indefinite ban on the telecast and promotion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) following the controversy surrounding the removal of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad, The Daily Star reported.

The development comes after KKR said on Saturday they had released the Bangladesh bowler after being told to do so by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Bangladesh are scheduled to play three T20 World Cup matches in Kolkata next month, with the February 7-March 8 tournament being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

On Sunday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said after an emergency meeting that it had “formally requested” the International Cricket Council (ICC) shift its team’s games to Sri Lanka.

A statement from the ministry of information and broadcasting said that it had “noted that no reason was communicated for the decision behind Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion [from the IPL]” and that the development had “caused distress among the people of Bangladesh”, Daily Star reported.

“In this context, a decision has been taken regarding the broadcast of IPL matches,” the statement said, adding that the decision had been taken “in public interest”.

It was signed by the ministry’s assistant secretary Firoz Khan.

“There is no logical reason for this decision of the Indian Cricket Board and such a decision has distressed, shocked and angered the people of Bangladesh,” the government statement further said, according to India Today.

“A request has been made to stop the promotion/broadcast of all games and events of the Indian Premier League (IPL) until further orders,” the statement added.
TV channels and streaming platforms have broadcast the IPL in Bangladesh since its inception in 2008, according to ESPN Cricinfo.

This is also the first time that the Bangladesh government has banned the telecast of an international cricket tournament, anywhere in the world.

BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul told reporters late on Saturday: “The dignity and security of our cricketers are our top priorities, and we will take a decision at the appropriate time keeping these in mind.“

Mustafizur, who has previously played in the IPL for other teams, was snapped up at auction in December by Kolkata for more than $1 million.

But BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said that “considering recent developments”, Kolkata had been “advised to release” the 30-year-old player.

Worsened relations between India, Bangladesh

The developments come against the backdrop of soured political relations between India and Bangladesh after a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi.

India’s foreign ministry last month condemned what it called “unremitting hostility against minorities” in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has accused India of exaggerating the scale of the violence.

Last year, the ICC allowed India to play Champions Trophy matches in the United Arab Emirates due to sour relations with hosts Pakistan.

Pakistan will also play all their matches of the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, as part of a deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments.

On Sunday, cricket news site Cricbuzz reported that the BCB would ask the BCCI for a formal explanation regarding Mustafizur’s release.

The ICC did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.