Govt won't block IPL broadcast via Star Sports in Bangladesh: Info minister tells DW Bangla

The government will not obstruct the broadcast of the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which will start today (28 March), in Bangladesh if it is available through India-based channel Star Sports, Information Minister Jahir Uddin Swapan has said.

"We will not prevent anyone. If it is accessible, it can be watched. If any broadcaster applies for permission, we will consider it positively. Nothing will be imposed forcefully," he said while speaking to Deutsche Welle Bangla.

He added that no broadcaster has yet approached the authorities seeking permission to air the IPL in Bangladesh.

"We do not want to politicise sports. Therefore, such matters will be considered from a commercial perspective. If any channel applies to broadcast the IPL, we will review it positively," the minister said.

The tournament is set to be aired on Star Sports. Local channel T Sports, the previous rights holder, will not broadcast this year's IPL due to scheduling and logistical challenges, the executive director of T Sports told DW Bangla.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting today refuted a report claiming that the ban on broadcasting the IPL has been lifted, reports BSS.

"The decision taken by the previous government to suspend IPL broadcasts still remains in force," said a press release of the ministry.

The release said a report published in The Daily Star under the headline 'Govt lifts bar on IPL telecast in Bangladesh' and similar reports carried by other media outlets regarding the withdrawal of the IPL broadcast ban in Bangladesh have come to the ministry's notice.

Clarifying the matter, the ministry said the earlier decision to stop IPL broadcasts is still effective.

It added that the ministry has already sought opinions and advice from the Ministry of Youth and Sports in this regard.

It said further steps would be taken based on the opinion of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

According to the report from DW Bangla, Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh (COAB) Office Secretary Rezaul Karim Lablu told Deutsche Welle that IPL matches can be viewed on Star Sports, as no directive has been issued to stop the broadcast.

"If IPL is available on Star Sports, then it will be aired. No one has instructed us to stop it," he said.

Regarding previous directives from the erstwhile interim government, he added, "Those instructions no longer hold any value. If the current government asks us to stop, we will comply. The directives of the previous government are no longer in effect."

Meanwhile, Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque told Deutsche Welle on Wednesday (25 March) that he wants to build friendly relations with India and believes politics should not be mixed with sports.

Earlier on 5 January, the information ministry had instructed that all IPL matches and related programmes be suspended in Bangladesh until further notice.

According to an official press release signed by Assistant Secretary Md Firoz Khan, the directive was issued in the public interest after Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad.

The ministry at the time stated that the decision by the Indian cricket board lacked any clear justification and had "hurt, saddened and angered" the people of Bangladesh.

The order further noted that not only live matches but all IPL-related programmes were to remain off-air until further instructions, with the directive issued upon approval from the appropriate authorities in consideration of public interest.

Mustafizur was initially signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs9.20 crore at the auction and was set to be Bangladesh's sole representative in this year's Indian Premier League before being released.

The issue later escalated, with Bangladesh being replaced by Scotland in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup after the team refused to travel to India over security concerns.

The IPL will begin today with a clash between the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Bangladeshi sports channel T-Sports, which has held the broadcasting rights for the IPL in recent years, will not be airing the tournament this time.

Speaking to Deutsche Welle, T-Sports Executive Director Tasvir Ul Islam said, "There is not enough time left to properly prepare the marketing and all other logistics for an event like the IPL. Also, since broadcasting the IPL in Bangladesh is currently not possible, we have acquired the broadcasting rights for the PSL instead. This has created scheduling issues for us."

Asked why preparations were not made earlier, Tasvir explained, "The IPL is a two-and-a-half-month tournament, so planning needs to start at the beginning of the year. This involves budget, advertisers, and many other factors. It cannot be arranged on short notice. The interim government's ban on IPL broadcasting forced us to restructure our plans. Now, doing something on short notice is not feasible. We have already acquired the rights for the PSL, so we are not considering any new arrangements."