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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........

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