Bangladesh has officially confirmed it will not participate in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup in India, following a high-level meeting on Thursday with the country’s cricketers.
Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul announced the decision, emphasising that it comes directly from the government. He stated that whether citizens are safe in another country is solely the government’s responsibility and that no one else has the authority to make such a determination.
“The decision to not travel to India is a government directive,” Nazrul said. “The ICC can review and advise, but the government will make the final call. No one else can decide if our citizens are safe abroad — this is the sovereign right of Bangladesh.”
The announcement came after a decisive meeting at the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka at 3:00 pm, which included BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul, Chief Executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul, Sports Secretary, and BCB Chief of Cricket Operations Nazmul Abeeden. Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, along with players including Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shamim Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Jaker Ali, and Saif Hassan, also attended.
Bangladesh has maintained its firm stance since 4 January, citing security concerns amid escalating political sensitivities. Even after the ICC’s independent assessments suggested no verifiable threat to the team in India, Nazrul stressed that past incidents, including the removal of pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL under pressure from extremist elements, demonstrated that adequate security could not be guaranteed.
“ICC may continue to assert that no credible risk exists,” Nazrul said, “but ICC is not a country. In India, where a top Bangladesh player was forced to leave under threat, the local authorities failed — or were unwilling — to ensure security. How can we be convinced that our cricketers, journalists, and fans will be safe there?”
The ICC had set a 24-hour deadline following a virtual board vote on Wednesday, in which Bangladesh lost 12–2 among 12 full members and two associate nations, receiving only Pakistan’s support. Officials had warned that if Bangladesh refused to travel, it would be replaced by another team in the tournament.
BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul stated that, despite the firm decision not to travel to India, Bangladesh will continue to pursue the option of playing its World Cup matches in Sri Lanka. The board has held continuous consultations with government authorities to explore any possible alternatives, but the position remains unchanged.
Thursday’s meeting marked a final discussion on whether Bangladesh would participate in India or withdraw from the World Cup altogether, making the withdrawal a historic first for the team in a global T20 tournament.
