The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday decided against sending its national team to India for the T20 World Cup next month citing security concerns and government advice, following IPL franchise KKR’s decision to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman on BCCI’s instruction.

Although the BCCI did not explicitly cite the current relations between the two countries for its decision to seek Rahman’s release on Saturday, it did say that the move was triggered by what’s been happening all around, PTI and Reuters reports from Dhaka and elsewhere stated.

Rahman’s dramatic ouster from the IPL prompted the BCB to call an emergency meeting on Saturday (Jan 3) night and a day later, it announced the Board of Directors met again and decided that the national team will not travel to India for the T20 World Cup beginning February 7.

“The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India,” said the BCB in a statement.

“Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and considering the advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions,” the statement added.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will need to address the issue as Bangladesh are scheduled to play all four of their league games in India. Like the arrangement with Pakistan, Bangladesh wants all of their matches to be shifted to Sri Lanka, the co-host of the tournament.

“In light of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC), as the event authority, to consider relocating all of Bangladesh matches to a venue outside India (co-host Sri Lanka),” read the statement further.

“The Bangladesh Cricket Board looks forward to the ICC’s understanding of the situation and an urgent response on this matter,” it added.

Even before the BCB issued a statement, Bangladesh government advisor Asif Nazrul declared in a Facebook post that the board had taken the call not to send its team to India.

Following the BCB emergency meeting, Nazrul instructed the board to ask Jay Shah-led ICC to shift Bangladesh’s four league games — three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai — to Sri Lanka.

The Shah Rukh Khan co-owned IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released the Bangladesh left-arm pacer, who was bought for Rs 9.20 crore after a bidding war at last month’s auctions in Abu Dhabi, following BCCI’s diktat.

The Indo-Bangladesh relationship has plunged into chaos after the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year following anti-government protests. Hindus have been targeted for violent attacks since Hasina’s ouster.

No IPL Broadcast in Bangladesh?: Nazrul also said that he has requested the adviser for Bangladesh’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) to ensure that broadcast of IPL in Bangladesh is suspended.

“I have requested the adviser for Information and Broadcasting to ensure that the broadcast of the IPL in Bangladesh is also suspended.

“Under no circumstances will we tolerate any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers, or Bangladesh itself. The days of servitude are over,” he said.

There is a bit of disbelief in the BCB corridors that things took such a turn after India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended former PM Khaleda Zia’s funeral in Dhaka.

Kolkata Knight Riders released fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh after being told to do so by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Indian Premier League (IPL) team said on Saturday amid growing tensions between the countries.

“Due to recent developments going on all across, the BCCI has instructed the franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, from their squad,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told Indian news agency ANI, a Reuters report said.