New Delhi: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has on Sunday (January 4) requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate Bangladesh’s matches in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 to a venue outside India, citing safety and security concerns. The move comes after the controversy surrounding the release of Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.In a media release, the BCB said its board of directors held an emergency meeting to review recent developments related to the tournament, which is scheduled to be hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka. The board said it had assessed developments over the past 24 hours and expressed “deep concern” over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh national team in matches scheduled to be played in India.“Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and considering the advice from the Bangladesh government, the board of directors resolved that the Bangladesh national team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions,” the note mentioned.Further, the BCB said it believes such a step is necessary to safeguard the “safety and well-being” of Bangladeshi players, team officials, board members and other stakeholders, and to ensure that the team can participate in the tournament in a secure and appropriate environment.According to Bangladeshi newspaper The Business Standard, Bangladesh’s interim government has directed the Bangladesh Cricket Board to write formally to the ICC, raising objections over Mustafizur’s exit from the IPL and citing concerns over player dignity and safety.The move also includes a request to relocate Bangladesh’s group-stage matches in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.Bangladesh’s Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul reacted sharply, saying Mustafizur’s release reflected political pressure rather than sporting considerations. He said the government would not accept what he described as the humiliation of a Bangladeshi cricketer, and confirmed that the BCB had been instructed to take up the matter with the ICC.In a Facebook post, Nazrul accused the Indian cricket board of “surrendering to radical communal groups”, declaring that Bangladesh would not accept insults to its cricket or its players and adding that “the days of slavery are over”.Nazrul said he had asked the BCB to submit a written explanation to the ICC, arguing that if a contracted Bangladeshi player could not safely participate in the IPL, the national team could not feel secure playing World Cup matches in India. He said the board had also been directed to seek the relocation of Bangladesh’s fixtures to Sri Lanka due to safety concerns.Bangladesh is scheduled to play three group matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai during the first round of the tournament. Their opening fixture against West Indies is slated for February 7 at Eden Gardens.Following an emergency virtual meeting of board directors on Saturday, BCB media committee chairman Amzad Hussain told ESPNcricinfo that the board would write to the ICC, noting that Bangladesh had three World Cup matches scheduled in Kolkata.The timing has added to the sensitivity, with the BCB having announced its 2026 home calendar only a day earlier. That schedule includes white ball matches against India, a series postponed from 2025.The controversy follows a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asking KKR to release Mustafizur from its squad which the IPL team complied, according to Cricbuzz. The Bangladesh pacer had been signed by the franchise for the upcoming IPL season but was later dropped, with Indian cricket authorities citing non-cricketing considerations, the report said.Bangladesh’s English language daily Prothom Alo reported that officials in Dhaka see the episode as part of a broader pattern of political pressure amid strained bilateral ties in recent months. The paper said the government was also weighing whether to continue broadcasting IPL matches domestically, though no final decision has been taken.The cricket dispute comes shortly after signs of diplomatic thaw, following External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Dhaka to convey India’s condolences over the death of former prime minister Khaleda Zia. Jaishankar had met her son and BNP leader Tarique Rahman, who is widely expected to lead the party into the February elections.That visit followed a period of heightened tension after the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi and the lynching of Hindu worker Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh. Both countries summoned each other’s High Commissioners multiple times, with Dhaka accusing India of sheltering Sharif’s killer, a claim New Delhi denied.India’s Ministry of External Affairs has repeatedly said that “India stands for strengthening our ties with the people of Bangladesh”, while also expressing concern over attacks on minorities and calling for accountability over Das’s killing. The MEA statement clearly delineated the blame for the deteriorating law and order on the interim government, while maintaining a bridge with the Bangladeshi people.In contrast, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said KKR had been asked to release Mustafizur due to what he described as “recent developments going on all across”.KKR later confirmed the release in a statement, saying the decision followed due process and consultations and was carried out on the instruction of the BCCI, adding that the franchise would be allowed to sign a replacement player under IPL rules.Bangladesh’s Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki also criticised the decision, calling it disgraceful in a Facebook post, Prothom Alo reported.“What has happened to Mustafiz in the IPL is disgraceful. Through this incident, the citizens of Bangladesh have witnessed politics of hatred and have been deeply hurt,” Farooki wrote.Farooki suggested the discrimination against Bangladeshi players might be connected to broader concerns about minority treatment in the region. “Whether this incident has been influenced by the same motive will undoubtedly be examined by the relevant authorities. It will also be necessary to assess how safe our cricket or football teams will be in India in the future,” he stated.He also stated he would convey the matter of suspending IPL broadcasts to the Information and Broadcasting Adviser, Prothom Alo reported.This report was updated with information from Bangladesh Cricket Board’s media release and republished at 7.37 pm on the same day.