Bangladesh bans IPL broadcast after Mustafizur snub

The Bangladesh Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday instructed all broadcasters in the country to stop airing the Indian Premier League. The directive followed the exclusion of fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the 2026 season. In the aftermath, the Bangladesh Cricket Board, citing security concerns, had also decided not to play their T20 World Cup matches in India and formally requested the ICC to relocate their fixtures. The broadcasting ban was issued through an official notification on Monday (January 5), signed by assistant secretary Firoz Khan. It applies to all IPL matches and related programming and will remain in effect until further notice. According to the notice, the ministry took cognisance of the decision by the Board of Control for Cricket in India to leave Mustafizur out of the KKR squad for the IPL season scheduled to begin on March 26, 2026. "No reasonable justification for such a decision is known," the notification stated. "Such a decision has hurt, distressed and angered the people of Bangladesh. "In these circumstances, it is requested, by order, that all matches and programmes of the Indian Premier League be stopped from broadcast and transmission until further instructions," it added, noting that the directive was issued in the public interest with approval from the appropriate authorities.