Mustafizur Rahman release fallout: Bangladesh bans IPL broadcast

DHAKA: The interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday decided to ban the broadcast of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, scheduled to begin on March 26.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Bangladesh’s ministry of information and broadcasting conveyed the decision, further intensifying tensions between the two countries and introducing politics into sport, often regarded as a form of soft power in diplomacy. A notification was sent to state-run Bangladesh Betar and television channels instructing chief executives as well as the president of the Association of Television Channel Owners to immediately stop broadcasting all IPL matches and related programmes until further notice.The notification noted that no reasonable explanation had been provided for the exclusion of Bangladesh star pacer Mustafizur Rahman, a decision that left the people of Bangladesh “saddened and angry”.“In this context, a decision has been taken regarding the broadcast of IPL matches,” the notification said. Information and broadcasting adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Sunday said any decision on whether to stop broadcasting Indian Premier League (IPL) in Bangladesh would be taken after reviewing the legal basis and thoroughly examining the relevant procedures.The ministry said the directive by the BCCI to have Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur released from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for the upcoming IPL had come to the government’s attention.Earlier, in a retaliation following star bowler Mustafizur’s exclusion, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday decided not to send the national cricket team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, seeking alternative venue from the ICC outside India citing security concerns “under the current circumstances”.The T20 World Cup, set to be played in India and Sri Lanka, will begin on Feb 7.The decision was taken in an emergency meeting held on Monday afternoon.