DHAKA: Bangladesh will not play their T20 World Cup matches in India after Mustafizur Rahman was released by his Indian Premier League team amid growing tensions between the countries, Bangladesh’s sports adviser Asif Nazrul said on Sunday.

“Bangladesh will not go to India to play the World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has taken this decision today,” Nazrul, who is an adviser to the Ministry of Sports, said in a statement.

“We welcome this decision taken in the context of the extreme communal policy of India’s cricket board,” he added.

The government adviser, as quoted by state-run BSS news agency, further warned that “we will not accept any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers and Bangladesh under any circumstances. The days of slavery are over”.

The development comes after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was on Saturday released by the Kolkata Knight Riders after the IPL team were “advised” by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to do so, following tensions between the neighbouring nations.

“The board said that where a Bangladesh cricketer can’t play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladesh cricket team can’t feel safe to go to the World Cup,” Nazrul had said.

“I have also instructed the board to request Bangladesh World Cup games to be held in Sri Lanka.”

Nazrul said he had ordered the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to write to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“The board should inform that, where a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to play in the World Cup,” he wrote.’

“I have also instructed the board to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches should be held in Sri Lanka.”

Dignity, security ‘top priority’
The T20 World Cup begins on February 7, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh are scheduled to play their four group matches in India.

Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka, part of a deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments.

Political relations between India and Bangladesh soured after a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi.

India’s foreign ministry last month condemned what it called “unremitting hostility against minorities” in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has accused India of exaggerating the scale of the violence.

BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul said the board were considering their options.

“The dignity and security of our cricketers are our top priorities, and we will take a decision at the appropriate time, keeping these in mind,” he told reporters late Saturday.

Mustafizur, who has previously played in the IPL for other teams, was snapped up at auction in December by Kolkata for more than $1 million.

But BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that “considering recent developments” Kolkata had been “advised to release” the 30-year-old.

The 2026 IPL season begins on March 26.

Nazrul said he would also ask that the IPL be blocked by Bangladeshi broadcasters.

“I have requested the Information and Broadcasting Adviser to stop the broadcasting of the IPL tournament in Bangladesh,” he said.

Kolkata, majority-owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, subsequently said that Mustafizur’s “release has been carried out following due process and consultations”.

The cricket row comes only days after tensions between the nations had appeared to have eased.

India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Bangladesh last week, the most senior visit by an Indian official since the overthrow of Hasina.

On Friday, the BCB announced that India would go to Bangladesh for six white-ball matches in September.

Bangladesh will hold its first elections since the uprising on February 12.

T20 World Cup squad
Meanwhile, the BCB has announced it squad for the T20 World Cup with fast bowlers Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed leading the bowling attack at the event next month, while batter Jaker Ali was axed

Taskin, who has taken 106 wickets in 86 T20Is, returns to the team after missing their 2-1 series win over Ireland in December while he was competing in the Abu Dhabi T10 league.

Mustafizur and Taskin will spearhead a pace department which also includes Tanzim Hasan, Shoriful Islam and Mohammad Saifuddin, with Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan the spinners in the squad.

Litton Das will captain the team and will be tasked with putting runs on the board alongside Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan.

Jaker misses out after a poor 2025 in which he managed just 378 runs in 26 T20Is.

15-member lineup: Litton Das (captain), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Tawhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shaif Uddin, Shoriful Islam