The Bangladesh government has placed an indefinite ban on the telecast and promotion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) following the controversy over national fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman being released from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad.
The order was issued on January 5. In the notice, the authorities said that all IPL broadcasts, advertisements and related programmes will stop immediately across the country. The statement also mentioned that the decision was taken in the public interest and will remain effective until further instructions.
The move came after IPL officials confirmed that Mustafizur Rahman had been removed from the KKR squad ahead of the new season. According to Bangladesh officials, the release was said to have come under instruction from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The Bangladesh side said there was “no logical reason” for the decision. 
The government order stated that the move had caused anger and disappointment among people in Bangladesh, as Mustafizur is one of the country’s top cricketers. The authorities said that the situation had forced them to take action and stop all IPL-related programming in the country.
The controversy has also affected international cricket plans. The Bangladesh Cricket Board announced that the national team would not travel to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The tournament is scheduled to begin on February 7. The decision followed an emergency meeting of the board, where members discussed security concerns and advice received from the government.
In its statement, the BCB said it was deeply concerned about the situation surrounding Mustafizur Rahman and the safety of Bangladeshi players in India. The board said it could not risk sending the team under the present circumstances.
After the meeting, BCB director Khaled Mashud Pilot said that if proper security could not be assured for one Bangladeshi player, then there were doubts about the safety of the entire national squad during the tournament.
