BCB Stands Firm Despite ICC’s Stance on Retaining India Game Venues

On Tuesday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) “requested” the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to reconsider its demand to move the country’s T20 World Cup matches out of India. However, the BCB has steadfastly maintained its request due to security concerns.

In a statement, the BCB indicated that despite the ICC’s hesitation to fulfill the request, their stance remains firm, and both parties will continue exploring potential resolutions.

The BCB has repeatedly petitioned the ICC to relocate its World Cup matches away from India, citing security concerns. With the T20 tournament schedule already set to commence on February 7, it’s unlikely that the ICC will acquiesce.

“The ICC pointed out that the tournament schedule is already finalized and asked the BCB to reconsider its position. Nonetheless, the Board maintains its stance, and both entities agreed to continue discussions to find possible solutions,” noted the BCB.

Additionally, the BCB emphasized its commitment to ensuring the safety of its players, officials, and staff while engaging with the ICC to resolve the issue.

Though the BCB perceives India as an unsafe location for its players, the ICC’s risk assessment report does not identify any specific or direct threats to the team’s participation.

During Tuesday’s video conference with the ICC, BCB was represented by its president Aminul Islam and CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, alongside other senior officials. They reiterated their stance against traveling to India over security worries and reaffirmed their request to the ICC to look into relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India.

Bangladesh is set to play three matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai during the league stages. The call for relocation emerged after the BCCI instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman from its IPL 2026 roster amid incidents of violence against Hindus.

In response to Mustafizur’s release, the Bangladesh government banned the IPL broadcast in the country. Former captain Tamim Iqbal and current Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto warned against adopting an excessively hard-line approach, with Iqbal pointing out potential repercussions in the future.

Shanto has also expressed the psychological stress facing players at the possibility of missing a World Cup. Conversely, sports ministry advisor Asif Nazrul remains resolute, consistently insisting that Bangladesh will not shift from its demand to relocate its games to co-host Sri Lanka.

Published on January 13, 2026.