Bangladesh Sports Advisor Slams BCCI, Says 'India Unfit To Host ICC Events' After KKR Drops Mustafizur Rahman

Dhaka, January 03: Bangladesh's Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain on Saturday strongly criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following the controversy involving Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman. Calling the situation "terrible," Bhuyain said such conditions raise serious questions about India's suitability to host international sporting events.

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) which is co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan was asked to release Mustafizur after outrage over violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. BCCI directed KKR to release the Bangladeshi pacer amid the controversy.

In a sharp statement, Bhuyain said that India should be declared an inappropriate venue for organising international events after discussions between the two countries' governments and through a joint initiative involving the Bangladesh Cricket Board. He stressed that the safety and dignity of players must be a top priority in international sports.

He said, "Such a terrible state should not be allowed to host any international events. India should be declared as inappropriate to organize international events based on discussions with the country by the government and the BCB joint initiative."

He further stated, "Even after August 5, numerous tournaments of different discipline were organized in Bangladesh where Indians participated in a fully safe and competitive environment."

Pointing to Bangladesh's own record, he said that even after August 5, several tournaments across different sports were successfully held in Bangladesh, with Indian athletes participating freely. He claimed that Indian players competed in a safe, competitive and professional environment during these events.

The controversy is growing just weeks before Bangladesh are scheduled to travel to India for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which begins on February 7, 2026.

India and Sri Lanka are joint hosts of the tournament, but rising tension between India and Bangladesh has created uncertainty. Because of this, Bangladesh may consider playing their matches in Sri Lanka instead of India, similar to Pakistan.