Mohsin Naqvi, Aminul Haque, Jay Shah. Image Credits: X/AFP
In a major development, the Bangladesh Cricket Board is likely to take an important decision regarding the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). The IPL 2026 season is scheduled to begin on March 28, and the opening match will feature defending champions RCB playing against SRH.
Earlier this year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Mustafizur Rahman only a few days after he was signed during the 2026 IPL mini auction. The auction took place in Abu Dhabi, and Mustafizur was bought for a huge amount of Rs. 9 crore.
BCCI asked KKR to remove Mustafizur Rahman
The BCCI did not clearly explain the reason for this decision. The board’s secretary Devajit Saikia only mentioned “recent developments” and did not give further details.
Later, it was understood that the decision came after criticism from some people in India who questioned why a player from Bangladesh was allowed to play in the IPL during a sensitive political situation.
Soon after the BCCI’s instruction to KKR, another major decision was made. The broadcast of IPL matches in Bangladesh was banned.
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Bangladesh Cricket Board imposed ban on IPL
After this move, the Bangladesh Cricket Board decided to respond by imposing a ban related to the IPL. This decision came after Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the IPL 2026 season.
A statement from the ministry of information and broadcasting said that they had noted that no clear reason was given for Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion from the IPL.
The statement also mentioned that the decision had caused distress among the people of Bangladesh. The ministry added that the decision was taken in the public interest.
Now, there has been a new update on this issue. A Bangladesh minister has indicated that the government may reconsider the ban on broadcasting the Indian Premier League in the country. The ban has been in place since January, and discussions may happen soon.
Bangladesh Cricket Board likely to lift ban
Aminul Haque, the state minister for youth and sports, said on Sunday that he will discuss the matter with the Bangladesh Cricket Board after the Eid holidays. He also said that sports should not be politicised and should not affect friendly relations between India and Bangladesh.
"We have not thought about it as yet (broadcasting IPL in Bangladesh). After the vacation (Eid) ends, we will have to discuss it with the cricket board and try to figure out the actual picture (regarding banning IPL), and after knowing everything, we will take a decision," he said in an interaction with Cricbuzz.
"We want to develop a friendly relationship (with India), and there shouldn't be any other issue. Sports shouldn't be politicised. We have to know why it (IPL) was closed (broadcasting in Bangladesh), and later we can make a decision," added Aminul.
It is also important to note that earlier decisions were taken by the interim government led by Professor Yunus. However, elections were held in Bangladesh last month, and the Bangladesh National Party won by a large margin. Tarique Rahman is now the new prime minister, and Aminul is a member of his cabinet.
The 19th season of the IPL will begin on Saturday, March 28. The tournament is very popular in Bangladesh. Many fans in Bangladesh support the KKR team. This is mainly due to the close distance between Kolkata and Dhaka, which has helped the team gain a large fan following in Bangladesh.
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