Bangladesh have reiterated their demand to play their T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka instead of India, citing serious security concerns for players and officials.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Bangladesh’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul said the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would continue to press the ICC to understand the seriousness of the issue.
He stressed that the matter was not only about safety but also about national respect.
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“Today, after reading the letter from the ICC, we understand that the ICC doesn’t fully realise the scale of the security issue regarding Bangladeshi cricketers in India,” Nazrul said.
“I believe it’s not only a matter of security but also that of national humiliation.”
Nazrul referred to the recent removal of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2026 squad, a decision reportedly taken after instructions from the BCCI.
He said the move raised further doubts about the safety of Bangladeshi players in India.
“This in itself is a tacit recognition that it isn’t very safe to play in India,” he added.
READ: ICC willing to address Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup concerns, says BCB
Bangladesh are scheduled to play their first three group matches of the T20 World Cup in Kolkata, followed by their final group game in Mumbai.
The issue escalated after Mustafizur was released from the IPL squad, following strained relations between the two countries.
Soon after, the Bangladesh government banned the broadcast of the IPL in the country, and the BCB formally wrote to the ICC, refusing to play World Cup matches in India.
The ICC held discussions with the BCB on Tuesday.
On Wednesday morning, the BCB said it had not received any ultimatum from the ICC and would continue talks to find a solution.
However, later the same day, Nazrul made it clear that Bangladesh were firm on their stance.
READ: Bangladesh pull out of T20 World Cup matches in India over security concerns
“We don’t want to say anything about the bigger picture, the communal situation, in India,” Nazrul said.
“But when it comes to our cricketers’ safety, Bangladesh’s safety, and Bangladesh’s dignity, we won’t make any compromise. We want to play cricket, we want to play the World Cup – but we want to play in Sri Lanka, which is the other host country.”
He added that Bangladesh hoped the ICC would consider their request fairly and without bias.
“For now, we have taken this stand very clearly that we’ll convince the ICC that the atmosphere isn’t [right] for us to play in India.”
BCB president Aminul Islam, who was present at the press conference, said the concerns extended beyond the team alone.
He explained that ensuring safety for fans, journalists and officials was also a major challenge.
“It is not possible for the cricket board to ask for the security of each and every person from Bangladesh who goes to the World Cup, and this includes the team, as well as fans and journalists,” Aminul said.
“That’s why we’re taking the government’s directive because you know that every foreign trip requires a government order.”
He added that if security conditions do not improve, Bangladesh would continue to push for their rights.
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“We’ll try to convince the ICC. Such events related to security have taken place in the past as well,” he said, pointing to previous tournaments that followed hybrid models due to safety concerns.
Aminul also cited past examples where teams did not travel due to security reasons, saying, “When the Champions Trophy happened, India didn’t go to Pakistan. Even Pakistan didn’t go to India to play a World Cup. So we hope we’ll get the right answer.”
If Bangladesh refuse to travel to India and the ICC does not agree to shift their matches to Sri Lanka, the team could effectively be eliminated from the tournament, as all of their group-stage games are scheduled to be played in India.
