Bangladesh Imposes Ban on IPL Broadcast

The Bangladesh government’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has decided to ban the broadcast of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the country. The ministry has suspended IPL telecasts until further notice. This decision follows the removal of Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team — a move ordered by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Many in Bangladesh saw the removal as unjust, leading to public outrage and prompting calls to stop IPL broadcasts.

Earlier, Asif Nazrul, an adviser on youth and sports, objected to Rahman being left out of the team and urged the information and broadcasting authorities to halt all upcoming IPL telecasts. The ministry accepted his request.

The strained relations between Bangladesh and India have now affected the sporting arena. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has also asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move its matches out of India for the upcoming T20 World Cup in February. The final decision on that request is expected soon, and some believe Bangladesh’s matches may be played in Sri Lanka instead.

If Bangladesh does not play its matches in India, Nepal — which is in the same group — could also have at least one game relocated outside India.