Bangladesh plan T20 World Cup boycott, won’t play in India:BCB director Asif Akbar says board firm on relocation stance

The controversy over Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup has been raging on for weeks now after the BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) refused to play their matches in India, citing security concerns. The BCB had written to the ICC about relocating their matches to Sri Lanka after Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of IPL 2026. The ICC, in turn, had conducted a security assessment after Bangladesh’s relocation demand and informed the BCB that there was no threat to their team in India at the T20 World Cup. Bangladesh, however have remained firm on its stance of not travelling to India. And BCB director Asif Akbar says that they would boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 if eventually forced to play in India. For the uninitiated, India and Sri Lanka will co-host the T20 World Cup 2026, starting from 7 February. ‘Bangladesh will boycott the T20 World Cup if forced to play in India’ Speaking to Bhaskar English, Akbar maintained that the BCB are firm on its stance, that it will not go to India to play the T20 World Cup. As per the original T20 World Cup schedule, Bangladesh are slated to play all its matches in India. Three of their four Group C matches are slated to be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata while another is scheduled at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. “Bangladesh will boycott the T20 World Cup if forced to play in India. We are firm in our stance,” he said, during a telephonic conversation with Bhaskar English. The BCB director once again reiterated security concerns as the reason behind not wanting to play the T20 World Cup in India. However, Akbar stated that Bangladesh are ready to play their matches in Sri Lanka if their matches are relocated to the island nation. Earlier, it was reported that the ICC had rejected Bangladesh’s request for relocation of their T20 World Cup matches outside India. Going by Akbar’s comments, there is now a real possibility of Bangladesh not featuring in the T20 World Cup altogether if their venue change demand is not met. Also read: Fans vandalise property outside Mirpur Stadium after BPL match postponed: BCB director Nazmul Islam’s sacking sparks outrage among cricket enthusiasts Mustafizur Rahman controversy- What has happened so far The whole controversy took shape after Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman was excluded from the IPL. KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) had signed Mustafizur for a whopping sum of Rs 9.2 crore at the IPL 2026 auction, making him the most expensive Bangladeshi player in the tournament’s history. But the anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh saw several groups in India threatening to disrupt the IPL if Mustafizur was allowed to play in the tournament. The BCCI subsequently, on January 3, asked KKR to release Mustafizur from their IPL 2026 squad. The BCB quickly sprang into action and held an emergency meeting at the end of which, they announced that Bangladesh would not travel to India for the T20 World Cup, citing security concerns. Akbar, in an earlier conversation with Bhaskar English, had said, “How can India provide security to the Bangladeshi team if they could not assure one player’s security?” was his concern. Subsequently, it was reported that the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s demand for their matches to be relocated outside India. In the midst of this controversy, another crisis hit Banglkade former Bangladeshi cricketer Tamim Iqbal called for discussion to resolve the issue. He also said that the future of Bangladesh cricket should be considered before making any decision. However, his comment drew a sharp reaction from Nazmul Islam, a BCB director who called the ex-cricketer an ‘Indian agent.’ Islam’s comments sparked criticism from Bangladeshi cricketers who called for Islam’s resignation. If the BCB director did not resign, the players threatened to boycott all cricket activities and they did. The BPL 2026 (Bangladesh Premier League) matches on 15 January were suspended. The suspension of these matches saw furious reactions from fans who vandalised part of the Mirpur Stadium.
The Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) held a press conference on 15 January seeking Islam’s resignation and the BCB eventually relieved the official of his duties. ‘BCCI not in loop about BCB-ICC discussions’, says secretary Devajit Saikia BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that the board is unaware of the conversation between the BCB and the ICC regarding the former’s request for relocation of matches. Speaking to a news agency, Saikia said, “Till now, BCCI is not in loop of whatever communication is going on with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the ICC. So, we are unaware. Once we get some information, we will keep you updated.”