In a bid to improve their strained relations with India, Bangladesh hinted at reversing a decision taken after the Mustafizur Rahman saga that had on the cricket ecosystem across the globe.
However, the Bangladesh sports minister has claimed that the decision taken by the previous government will be studied in the upcoming days and emphasizes that they want to have friendly relations with India.
For those unversed, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had ordered Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Mustafizur just days after he was signed at the 2026 IPL mini auction, which took place in Abu Dhabi for a whopping fee of Rs. 9 crore. The move come after criticism from people in India over allowing a player from Bangladesh to play the IPL despite the political situation.
The decision led to a strong reaction from Bangladesh, who did not allow their team to travel to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup. After their request to the ICC to move their matches to Sri Lanka was rejected, the Tigers were removed from the tournament and replaced by Scotland
Another big decision announced just days after BCCI’s mandate to KKR was that the broadcast of IPL games in Bangladesh will be banned.
However, Bangladesh’s new sports minister, has claimed that the decision will be revisited and they do not want the sport to be politicized.
“We have not thought about it as yet (broadcasting IPL in Bangladesh). After the vacation (Eid) ends, we will have to discuss it with the cricket board and try to figure out the actual picture (regarding banning IPL), and after knowing everything, we will take a decision. We want to develop a friendly relationship (with India), and there shouldn’t be any other issue. Sports shouldn’t be politicised. We have to know why it (IPL) was closed (broadcasting in Bangladesh), and later we can make a decision,” said Aminul in an interaction with Cricbuzz.
It is worth noting that the decisions were taken by the Professor Yunus-led interim government. However, elections were held in Bangladesh last month in which the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) managed to earn a landslide victory. Tarique Rahman is the new prime minister, and Aminul is part of his cabinet.