The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday (January 17, 2026) asked the ICC to swap its national team with Ireland in Group C during the upcoming T20 World Cup in order to play in Sri Lanka instead of India.

Bangladesh is currently placed in Group C along with the West Indies, Italy, England, and Nepal and is scheduled to play their matches in Kolkata and Mumbai.

Ireland is in Group B alongside Sri Lanka, Australia, Oman, and Zimbabwe and their matches are scheduled in Colombo and Pallekele.

The two-member ICC team, consisting of Gaurav Saxena, General Manager, Events and Corporate Communications, and Andrew Ephgrave, General Manager, Integrity Unit, was in Dhaka to convince BCB about the security arrangements in India and to follow the original schedule.

“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) today held a meeting with representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to discuss matters relating to Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” said the BCB in a release after the meeting with ICC delegates.

Mr. Ephgrave attended the meeting in person but Mr. Saxena joined virtually after he failed to secure a Bangladesh visa in time.

“During the discussions, the BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka. The Board also shared the Bangladesh Government’s views and concerns on safety and security of the team, Bangladeshi fans, media and other stakeholders,” the BCB added.

From the BCB’s side, President Mohammad Aminul Islam, Vice Presidents Md Shakawath Hossain and Faruque Ahmed, Director and Chairman of Cricket Operations Committee Nazmul Abedeen and Chief Executive Officer Nizam Uddin Chowdhury attended the meeting.

However, it is learnt that the ICC is reluctant to accept Bangladesh’s demand, considering the logical constraints and the enormous changes to the itinerary to be made deep into the tournament.

Bangladesh has been asking the global governing body to relocate its World Cup matches, scheduled to be held in Kolkata and Mumbai, on the pretext of a perceived security threat to its players.

The BCB raised this demand after national team pacer Mustafizur Rahman was abruptly delinked from his IPL contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders following a BCCI directive.

The BCB indicated that more dialogue will follow soon to find an amicable solution to the impasse.

“The discussions were conducted in a constructive, cordial and professional manner, with all parties engaging openly on the relevant issues.

“Among other points, the possibility of moving Bangladesh to a different group as a means of facilitating the matter with minimum logistical adjustments was discussed. The BCB and the ICC have agreed to continue engaging in constructive dialogue on this matter,” it noted.

The crisis-ridden Bangladesh Cricket Board stared at the prospect of its flagship T20 league coming to a halt after senior national players revolted against it for not sacking director Najmul Islam for his disparaging comments against them, even though the BCB removed him as head of its finance committee.

Also Read | Bangladesh admits ICC’s reluctance to shift games out of India but refuses to budge

Despite the removal of Najmul from the key BCB post, two matches of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) scheduled on the day were postponed and the tournament itself looked in disarray due to the players’ firm stance.

The cricketers taking part in the BPL were unified in their demand for immediate removal of Najmul as BCB director.

BCB removed Najmul as chairman of the board’s finance committee but he remains a Board director, a position that can be taken from him on disciplinary grounds.

“…Following a review of recent developments and in the best interest of the organisation, the BCB President has decided to release Mr. Najmul Islam from his responsibilities as Chairman of the Finance Committee with immediate effect,” said the BCB in a statement.

“Until further notice, the BCB President will assume the role of Acting Chairman of the Finance Committee. The BCB reiterates that the interests of the cricketers remain its highest priority.” It then pleaded with the players to not halt the BPL.

“BCB hopes that all cricketers will continue to display the highest standards of professionalism and dedication to the betterment of Bangladesh cricket during what is a challenging period for the game…and will do their utmost to ensure continued participation in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).”

The furore started after Najmul, while reiterating Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India for next month’s T20 World Cup due to “security worries”, rejected concerns surrounding players’ remuneration should the country withdraw.

He stated that the players would not be compensated as they have not justified the support so far, having failed to win a single ICC event.

The statement caused outrage with the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) calling for his immediate ouster from BCB.

The under-pressure BCB showcaused Najmul.

“…the Board has already initiated formal disciplinary proceedings against the Board member concerned. A show-cause letter has been issued, and the individual has been instructed to submit a written response within 48 hours,” it stated earlier in the day.

Bangladesh is refusing to tour India, citing security concerns after pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the IPL at the BCCI’s instruction due for unspecified “developments all around”.

The BCB is still in talks with the ICC to figure a way out after the world body showed reluctance to shift Bangladesh’s four games in India to Sri Lanka.

Najmul had earlier described former captain Tamim Iqbal as an “agent of India” after he called for a restrained handling of the standoff with the neighbouring nation, warning that decisions taken today would have impact 10 years down the line.

The CWAB had condemned that statement from Najmul.

Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has also urged for a pragmatic approach and also revealed that the players are under immense stress due to the current circumstances.

“We have been discussing with the BCB for many issues but didn’t get any solution. We are now hopeless. Cricketers are playing the game for pride. We told him to say sorry but he became more desperate. He can’t make such comment,” CWAB president Mohammad Mithun said in a press conference here that also had Mustafizur in attendance even though he did not speak.

“They are taking long time to solve women’s team matters. Without evidence, nine players were omitted from BPL for alleged corruption in BPL.

Senior all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz echoed the sentiment.

“We always say that the cricket board is our guardian. But something like this coming from one of them is really disappointing. The cricket board is run by the ICC and sponsors’ incomes. We give the highest tax of 25-30%.”

Shanto and current T20 captain Litton Das too expressed their views on the controversial matter.

“As a player whether its male or female, they need to get paid better. We have good money and the BCB needs to use that properly,” said Litton.

While India and Bangladesh wait to see who will blink first, the International Cricket Council has made it clear that there is no security threat in India. This is Bangladesh’s reason for not wishing to come to India for their World T20 matches commencing next month. It has weakened the former’s case while strengthening the latter’s resolve.

Bangladesh’s hasty announcement followed India’s hasty announcement to drop their bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL after he had been picked in the auction. Storms have a way of spreading beyond the teacups where they originate. As the larger country with greater resources and a higher ranking, India might have been expected to act with better understanding and tolerance. But the Board of Control for Cricket in India allowed itself to be bullied by the government into dropping Mustafizur.

The player had nothing to do with the violence in Bangladesh which claimed Hindu lives. Nor should India’s foreign policy be decided by trolls on social media — it was a message here that set the ball rolling. But such niceties tend to be ignored in the ‘mine-is-bigger-than-yours’ type of street fight. National pride is often so brittle.

Bangladesh fans have been allegedly manhandled in India in recent years — in Kanpur at a Test and in Pune during the World Cup. The stories kept changing, however. The potential for crowd trouble exists anywhere in the world. Playing in southern India reduces that possibility, but the ICC has to make that call.

Brinkmanship

Brinkmanship comes easily to governments and sports bodies (sometimes they are the same). It doesn’t take a professional logician to work out that the side which has more to lose will ultimately give in. Bangladesh are ranked tenth in the world while India are No.1, so the arithmetic is not difficult. Still, there might be political mileage to be gained from standing up to the bigger country. Confronting the weaker in similar style does not carry the same traction.

Former Bangladesh skipper Tamim Iqbal’s has been a rare voice of reason in all this. He has urged his cricket board to avoid being driven by “public emotion” while deciding, and to be aware that a wrong decision could have an “impact 10 years down the line”.

Bangladesh can point to the fact that every time India refused to play an ICC tournament in Pakistan, they were allowed to play their matches in either the UAE or Sri Lanka. But that will not do them much good. To equate sporting responses with national pride (India have done this too, but they are confident of getting away with it) is both silly and dangerous. And if politicians — in this case the advisor to Bangladesh’s sports ministry — take a hard stance, they do their country’s sport much harm.

The situation should never have been allowed to get this far. The BCCI, its arm twisted by the government, should not have in turn twisted the arm of Kolkata Knight Riders and Shah Rukh Khan into dropping Mustafizur.

Wrong strategy

If Bangladesh had a genuine issue with security, a quiet word with the BCCI and the ICC might led to a shift in the venues of their matches. Such diplomacy should be conducted behind closed doors and not in the full glare of publicity for two reasons. One, it tends to raise the temperature till the issue becomes unbearably hot. Two, when the decision goes against one side, it makes them look ridiculous. A series of wrongs do not make a right.

The World T20 commences on February 7, so common sense and decency might still win the day. The ICC being neither a proactive body nor one that reacts quickly to developing situations, has been kowtowing to the BCCI for so long that most do not see these as separate entities. If the BCCI keeps quiet, it will be up to the Bangladesh Cricket Board to ignore the perceived insult, forget national pride and change its mind. There will be talk of cricket winning, of India’s kindness and Bangladesh’s ability to see the bigger picture.

Whatever happens can be spun to favour one or both of the countries or indeed the ICC. After all, finding scapegoats is a pastime for the apparently slighted.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday (January 8, 2026) formally sent a second communication to the ICC, explaining the specific security concerns about travelling to India for the T20 World Cup while reiterating its demand for a change of venue to Sri Lanka.

The World Cup gets underway on February 7 and Bangladesh are scheduled to play four games (three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai).

They have refused to travel to India after pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from the IPL on instructions of the BCCI, which cited unspecified “developments all around” to justify the decision.

“Following discussions with Sports Ministry advisor Asif Nazrul, the BCB has once again sent a communication to the ICC. The ICC wanted to know areas of concern with regards to security and BCB has cited them,” a source close to the cricket board told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

However, he did not elaborate on the specifics of the letter.

The development comes amid sustained back-and-forth between the BCB and the ICC over Bangladesh’s participation. The global body has maintained a stoic silence so far and has sought clarity on the exact nature of the security apprehensions being flagged by the Dhaka-based board.

It is understood that the BCB itself is divided on the issue.

While one section of the board is backing Nazrul’s hardline stance on the matter, another group is in favour of keeping channels of discussion open with the ICC and Indian authorities.

They are stressing on the need for enhanced and foolproof security arrangements for the entire Bangladesh team during its stay in India.

Nazrul, who has been vocal in his criticism of India in the past, is learnt to have pushed a more uncompromising line, a marked departure from the BCB’s traditionally cordial working relationship with the BCCI.

Mustafizur’s release followed incidents involving attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.

As of now, the ICC hasn’t given any indication that it would shift Bangladesh’s venues from Kolkata and Mumbai to Colombo.

The BCB has, however, asserted that the ICC has shown willingness to work with it in assessing the security concerns.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam on Monday (January 5, 2026) said that “we do not feel secure” in sending the national team to India for the T20 World Cup considering the current circumstances.

Mr. Aminul spoke to reporters a day after BCB formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their T20 World Cup games out of India, a strong move triggered by pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s release from the IPL on BCCI instruction.

“You know that we, along with all the directors of the cricket board, held two meetings before taking this decision and at this moment we do not feel secure sending our team to India to play the World Cup,” Mr. Aminul said.

“So we wrote a letter to the ICC, and in the letter we clearly stated what we wanted to say. Because to us, security appeared to be a major concern and that is what we are following.”

“We have sent an email to the ICC and we are expecting them to tell us to have a meeting with them soon where we will express our concern,” he said.

Mr. Aminul said BCB’s next step will depend on ICC’s response.

“But what our next step will be depend on the reply to the email we have sent. We are not communicating with BCCI because this is an ICC event. We are communicating with the ICC,” he said.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, while announcing the diktat to release Mr. Rahman, had merely stated that it was being done because of “developments all around”, without explaining the specifics.

Bangladesh was scheduled to play three T20 World Cup matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai.

Drawn in Group C, the team was due to face the West Indies in their opening match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on February 7 and subsequently compete against defending champions England, Italy and Nepal.

The Indo-Bangladesh relationship has hit a rocky patch after the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year following anti-government protests.

She was sentenced to death in absentia by a tribunal for her alleged role in a deadly crackdown during the agitation in which several students were killed.

Hindus have been targetted for violent attacks since Hasina’s ouster.