Youth and Sports and Law Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul has urged the Information and Broadcasting Adviser to suspend the broadcast of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Bangladesh. In a Facebook post on Saturday night, he said the move came after the Indian cricket board allegedly instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman under pressure from extremist communal groups. Nazrul condemned the decision and termed it an insult to Bangladesh and its cricketers.

He stated that, as the minister in charge of the sports ministry, he had directed the Bangladesh Cricket Control Board to formally explain the matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC). He also instructed the board to inform the ICC that if a Bangladeshi player cannot play in India despite having a contract, the national team might not feel safe participating in the World Cup there. Nazrul further said he had advised the board to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka instead.

Nazrul reiterated that Bangladesh would not tolerate any insult to its cricket or cricketers and declared that the days of subservience were over.