Dhaka, Jan 5: The Bangladesh government has suspended the broadcast of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 in the country, days after Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The decision was conveyed by Bangladesh’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which said the suspension would remain in effect until further notice. The IPL season is scheduled to begin on March 26.
“Under these circumstances, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has informed through an official letter that, until further notice, all IPL matches and related programmes will remain suspended from broadcast and telecast in Bangladesh,” the Press Information Department (PID) said in a statement on Monday.
Rahman’s removal from the KKR squad came after BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the franchise had been asked to release the player “due to the recent developments.” KKR later confirmed the decision, stating that the move followed instructions from the cricket board.
The broadcast suspension comes amid wider cricket-related tensions between India and Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) seeking relocation of its matches from India during the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, citing safety and security concerns.
Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh said the matter now rests with the ICC. “ICC needs to make a decision on their request. We welcome everyone to India, but whether they want to come here or not is their choice,” he told ANI.
He added that recent events had influenced Bangladesh’s position. “Due to the various events that have taken place in the past few days, Bangladesh does not want to come to India. Whatever happened in Bangladesh is wrong,” Harbhajan said.
The 2026 T20 World Cup is set to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
