'Days of slavery are over': Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul reacts strongly to Mustafizur's IPL exit

The diplomatic fallout from the Indian Premier League's exclusion of Mustafizur Rahman has escalated significantly, with Bangladesh's Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul calling for the country's T20 World Cup matches to be moved out of India.

In a blistering statement issued on Saturday (3 January), Asif Nazul condemned the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for ordering the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release the pacer, accusing the Indian board of "surrendering to radical communal groups."

Asif Nazrul revealed he has instructed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to lodge a formal written explanation with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The directive includes a specific request to relocate Bangladesh's World Cup fixtures to co-host nation Sri Lanka due to safety concerns.

"I have told the board to inform (the ICC) that where a single contracted Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India, the entire Bangladesh cricket team cannot feel safe going there to play the World Cup," Nazrul stated.

Raising the stakes further, the adviser announced he has requested the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ban the telecast of the IPL within Bangladesh.

"We will not accept insults to Bangladesh cricket, cricketers, and the nation under any circumstances," Nazrul declared. "The days of slavery are over!"

The controversy began earlier on Saturday when KKR released Mustafizur following a BCCI directive triggered by political pressure. BJP leader Sangeet Som had praised the move as a "victory for Hindus," citing alleged violence against minorities in Bangladesh.

While the decision drew support from India's ruling party, it faced sharp criticism from opposition figures. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor termed the move "reprehensible," asking whether the player was being punished for his religion.