State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque has said the government is committed to ensuring India’s tour of Bangladesh goes ahead as planned in September, describing cricket as “a matter of prestige” for the country.
Speaking to reporters at the Mirpur Swimming Complex on 21 July, Aminul said Bangladesh’s standing in world cricket meant the tour carried significance beyond the pitch. “The current government places the highest importance on sports diplomacy. Cricket is a matter of prestige for us, and Bangladesh has established a very strong position in world cricket. I have personally spoken to the Indian High Commission, and they have also been in contact with us. Everyone is waiting for India to come to Bangladesh in September,” he said.
The tour was originally due to take place last year but was postponed after the BCCI failed to secure clearance from the Indian government amid political uncertainty in Bangladesh. Relations between the two boards deteriorated further after Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the IPL in March, prompting the interim government to withdraw Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup in India over security concerns. The Bangladesh Cricket Board subsequently paused the sale of media rights for the series while the fallout continued.
With a new government now in place, Aminul said both sides were keen to move past the disruption. “A particular incident surrounding the World Cup created some tensions. I firmly believe we can move beyond that and ensure our sports diplomacy, communication and exchanges with all neighbouring countries continue in a normal manner,” he said.
According to the schedule released by the BCB earlier this year, the sides are due to meet in three ODIs, on 1, 3 and 6 September, followed by three T20Is on 9, 12 and 13 September. The ODIs are expected to be staged in Dhaka and the T20Is in Chattogram. BCB president Tamim Iqbal, who has cultivated a close relationship with BCCI chief Mithun Manhas, has been central to negotiations, though final approval still rests with the Indian government.
A tour of this scale is regarded as commercially vital for the BCB. Hosting India is estimated to generate close to double the revenue of a full year of bilateral cricket through broadcast rights, sponsorship and ticket sales, making both the men’s and women’s series a financial priority for the board this year. The BCB is also pushing to secure India’s involvement in next year’s Asia Cup, a tournament for which Bangladesh holds the commercial rights.
Aminul’s comments came during a visit to observe the Notun Kuri Sports programme, which Prime Minister Tarique Rahman launched at Sylhet District Stadium on 2 May. Regional heats ran through May and June, with the closing ceremony set for the Army Stadium on 27 July at 4pm, where Rahman is due to present awards to the top athletes.
