Youth and Sports Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul has directed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to take initiatives to shift Bangladesh’s matches in the T20 World Cup from India to Sri Lanka. He issued this directive in protest against Mustafizur Rahman being dropped from the IPL on security grounds.

On Saturday (January 4) late at night, Asif Nazrul confirmed this directive in a Facebook post. At the same time, he also requested that the broadcast of the IPL in Bangladesh be stopped.

In the Facebook post, Asif Nazrul wrote, “Succumbing to extremist communal groups, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladesh cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the team. I strongly condemn and protest this.”

He wrote, “As the minister in charge of the Ministry of Sports, I have told the Cricket Control Board (BCB) to explain the entire matter in writing to the ICC. The Board (BCB) should make it clear that where a Bangladeshi cricketer, despite being contracted, cannot play in India, the entire Bangladesh cricket team cannot feel safe going there to play the World Cup. I have also instructed the Board to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka.”

Regarding stopping the IPL broadcast in Bangladesh, Asif Nazrul wrote, “I have requested the Minister of Information and Broadcasting that the broadcast of IPL matches in Bangladesh also be stopped! Under no circumstances will we accept the humiliation of Bangladesh cricket, cricketers, and Bangladesh. The days of servitude are over!”

Earlier, following a directive from the BCCI, Kolkata Knight Riders issued a statement dropping Mustafizur from the team. For the upcoming IPL season, Shah Rukh Khan’s owned franchise Kolkata had bought Mustafizur for 92 million rupees at the auction.