Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation remains uncertain

With the T20 World Cup drawing closer and less than a month remaining, this is usually the time for team analysis, planning and fine-tuning. Instead, concern, anxiety and debate now dominate discussions around Bangladesh — centring on the uncertainty over their participation in the tournament.

On Saturday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) sent a second letter to the ICC, requesting that Bangladesh's matches be shifted from India to Sri Lanka. The board elaborated further on its security concerns. Following the letter, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) held an internal meeting on Sunday. Rumours also surfaced that BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia might step down as a way to placate the BCB after the hurried decision to drop Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL. However, multiple sources have dismissed this speculation. Removing Devajit, a close confidant of ICC chairman Jay Shah, would not be an easy decision. Rather, the BCB believes that Jay Shah, Devajit and ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta will prioritise Indian interests above all else.

On Sunday evening, Devajit shared a photo from the meeting on X, stating that discussions focused on strengthening India's cricketing pipeline. Regardless of the caption, it is widely assumed that Bangladesh featured prominently in the meeting, which was attended by Rajeev Shukla. Many BCCI officials now acknowledge that creating controversy around Mustafizur so close to the World Cup was unnecessary. It is precisely this chain of events that prompted the BCB to decide against travelling to India for the World Cup on security grounds. In recent times, the BCCI left the decision of not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and Asia Cup to the Indian government. The BCB has followed the same approach.

Sports adviser Asif Nazrul has stated unequivocally that Bangladesh will not go to India to play. In response to that stance, former national captain Tamim Iqbal has offered advice to the BCB. The issue has since triggered a wave of mudslinging within the country's cricketing circles.

According to Tamim, 90–95 per cent of the BCB's revenue comes from the ICC. However, BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul told Ajker Patrika on Sunday that the figure stands at 55–60 per cent annually. While the board's internal revenue has dipped somewhat in recent times for various reasons, ICC income does not account for 90–95 per cent, as claimed by Tamim.

Rejecting Tamim's comments, BCB director and finance committee chairman M Nazrul Islam further inflamed the situation by labelling him an "Indian agent". Cricketers protested against Nazrul on social media. Later, at a press conference at a hotel in Sylhet, Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (COAB) president Mohammad Mithun said, "It is our responsibility to ensure cricket remains safe. 

When two former captains are serving as president and vice-president, and yet such statements come from the cricket board… when a responsible board director makes such remarks on a public platform, it raises serious questions about the board officials' code of conduct."

In his second post on the World Cup issue, M Nazrul wrote, "At a time of national concern like this, it is deeply unfortunate that one of our legendary cricketers, who has scored 15,000 runs in international cricket, has spoken in favour of India by going against public sentiment and the state's position."

COAB has been vocal over the Tamim issue, but why was it silent when Mustafizur was dropped from the IPL? Explaining their position, Mithun said, "We held a meeting with the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) regarding Mustafizur — what could be done and what steps could be taken. FICA assured us that if Mustafizur wanted, they would provide him with legal advice. Later, Mustafizur said he wanted to leave the matter for now."