Bangladesh bans IPL broadcasts after one of its star cricketers is dropped by team

Bangladesh has banned broadcasts of the IPL cricket league after one of its biggest sporting stars was effectively excluded from the competition.

Fast bowler Mustafizur Rahmanwas released by the Kolkata Knight Riders, co-owned by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, following an order from the Indian cricketing authorities. It comes amid mounting tensions between the governments of India and Bangladesh, with relations plummeting since the popular uprising against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Bangladesh Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the decision to drop Rahman had “pained, saddened, and aggrieved the people of Bangladesh”.

The ministry noted that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had provided no reason for the exclusion of Rahman.

This is the first time since the IPL began in 2008 that broadcasters will not be showing it in Bangladesh.

India and Bangladesh have been locked in an escalating spiral of geopolitical and diplomatic tensions since the summer of 2024 when a mass uprising toppled the Hasina government and sent her fleeing to Delhi, where she continues to live close to the corridors of power, despite requests for her extradition from Dhaka.

The ousted leader was a close ally of India and bilateral relations have soured since she was replaced by an interim government.

Tensions flared in December after a Bangladeshi Hindu man accused of blasphemy was beaten to death by a mob, sparking protests by Hindu groups across the border. Hundreds of people protested outside the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi last month over the killing and right-wing Hindu groups shouted slogans accusing Bangladeshi authorities of failing to protect minorities in the country.

Interim leader Muhammad Yunus condemned the killing, declaring there was no place for violence in the country and that “the perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared”. Some protesters burnt pictures of Mr Yunus, while others demanded a general boycott of Bangladesh.

The fallout has now spilled over into cricket, arguably South Asia’s most popular sport.

It started when the BCCI asked Rahman’s team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, to remove him from its squad. The team, co-owned by Khan, had purchased Rahman at the IPL auction for £760,000, making him the most expensive Bangladeshi player ever in the league.

Rahman’s removal on Saturday prompted a sharp reaction from Bangladesh’s cricket board which said it would not send its team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, set to begin from 7 February. The decision was taken during an emergency meeting “following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India”, the board noted.

The board also “formally requested” the International Cricket Council to move all of Bangladesh’s World Cup matches to a neutral venue such as Sri Lanka. This step was necessary, it claimed, “to safeguard the safety and well-being of Bangladeshi players, team officials, board members and other stakeholders, and to ensure participation in the tournament in a secure and appropriate environment”.

On Monday, the information and broadcasting ministry reiterated similar concerns over Rahman’s removal.

“No rational reason for such a decision by the Indian cricket board is known and it has pained, saddened, and aggrieved the people of Bangladesh,” the ministry said in a statement. “Under these circumstances, until further notice, all broadcasts of IPL matches and programmes are to be stopped.”

The order was issued “with the approval of the proper authority and in the public interest”.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia defended the decision to remove the Bangladeshi player. “Due to recent developments across the region, the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from their squad,” he said. “They may request a replacement player, which BCCI will allow upon request.”

“We should try to insulate some areas from others. We are reaching out to Bangladesh and urging them to do the right thing to protect and look after their minorities, and this messaging must continue,” opposition Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, according to ANI news agency.

The 19th season of the IPL starts on 26 March.