Things have heated up within Bangladesh cricket after former skipper Tamim Iqbal reacted to Bangladesh Cricket Board’s decision to request the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move their T20 World Cup 2026 matches from India to Sri Lanka following Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL exit.
The ex-captain of the national side was then humiliated by M. Najmul Islam, a prominent member of the BCB Board of Directors, for urging the board to settle things with dialogue. Islam lashed out at Tamim’s comments, going to the extent of labelling him as a “proven Indian agent”.
According to Dhaka-based publication Barta Bazar, M. Najmul Islam took aim at Tamim in a social media post. “Eibar aaro ekjon porikkhito Bharatiya dalaal er aatyoprokash Banglar jonogon duchokh bhore dekhlo (This time, Bangladesh has witnessed the self-expression of a proven Indian agent),” wrote Najmul Islam in a Facebook post.
The former opener stressed that the board should understand the kind of impact that their decision could have in future. “The situation is a bit critical at the moment, and making a sudden comment right now is difficult,” Tamim was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
“But one thing you must keep in mind is that many issues can often be resolved through dialogue if everyone comes together.” “You have to consider where Bangladesh stands in world cricket and what the future of Bangladesh cricket could be, and then make decisions accordingly,” he said.
The left-handed batter further added, “Today’s decisions will have an impact ten years down the line, so decisions should be taken by considering what is best for Bangladesh cricket and for Bangladeshi players — that is what I personally believe.”
Tamim, however, was clear about the need to preserve the BCB’s autonomy. “We consider the Bangladesh Cricket Board an independent body. Of course, the government plays a very big role, and discussions with the government are necessary. But if we consider the BCB an independent body, then it must also have the authority to make its own decisions,” he said.
“If the board feels a certain decision is right, then it should take that decision. Public opinion will always vary. When we play, spectators say many things driven by emotion. But if you start making decisions based on all that, you cannot run such a big organisation,” Tamim added.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had earlier asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release the Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman whom they had bought for INR 9.2 Cr. The left-arm bowler was released amid the ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh where minorities in the country have been targeted.
KKR stated in a release earlier, that Mustafizur has been released from the squad following due process.
“Kolkata Knight Riders confirms that BCCI/IPL as the regulator of IPL has instructed it to release Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The release has been carried out following due process and consultations, upon the instruction of the Board of Control of Cricket in India,” the franchise said.
“BCCI will allow Kolkata Knight Riders a replacement player in line with IPL regulations, and further details will be communicated in due course,” the statement from the three-time IPL champions read.
“Due to the recent developments which is going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh from their squad and BCCI has also said that if they ask for any replacement, BCCI is going to allow that replacement,” BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia told ANI.
Following this, the BCB forwarded a request to ICC for moving the T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures from India to Sri Lanka citing security concerns. Bangladesh are slated to play three matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai.
“An emergency meeting of the Board of Directors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was held this afternoon to discuss recent developments related to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India,” the BCB said in a statement.
Later, the ICC had reportedly turned down Bangladesh’s request to relocate their matches. According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, the decision was conveyed to BCB. ICC has told the Bangladesh Cricket Board that “Bangladesh will need to travel to India to play the T20 World Cup or risk forfeiting points.”
The final decision is yet to be taken.
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