What has happened to Mustafiz is disgraceful, says cultural affairs adviser

Cultural affairs adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has expressed strong dissatisfaction over the decision to exclude Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He described the decision taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as “disgraceful”.

On Saturday, the BCCI instructed that Mustafizur be excluded from the IPL, a directive that was subsequently implemented by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). At the auction held in Abu Dhabi on 16 December, KKR had purchased Mustafizur for INR 92 million (9.2 crore).

In a Facebook post on Saturday night, Farooki wrote, “What has happened to Mustafiz in the IPL is disgraceful. Through this incident, the citizens of Bangladesh have witnessed politics of hatred and have been deeply hurt.”

He further suggested that the reported discrimination against Bangladeshi players may be linked to the same underlying factors as the allegations of persecution of minorities in India.

In this regard, the cultural affairs adviser stated, “As you are aware, the ministry of foreign affairs of Bangladesh has already expressed concern over the recent incidents of persecution of minority communities in India.”

“Whether this incident has been influenced by the same motive will undoubtedly be examined by the relevant authorities. It will also be necessary to assess how safe our cricket or football teams will be in India in the future,” he added.

Sports adviser Asif Nazrul has already raised the question of whether the Indian government would be able to ensure the security of the entire Bangladesh team during the upcoming T20 World Cup if it cannot guarantee the safety of Mustafizur in the IPL.

He has instructed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to request the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift Bangladesh’s World Cup venues to Sri Lanka.

The World Cup will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka next month. Bangladesh’s four group-stage matches are currently scheduled to be held in Kolkata and Mumbai.

The Sports adviser has also stated in a Facebook post that he has informed the relevant adviser about suspending the broadcast of the IPL in Bangladesh during the tournament period from March to May.

Farooki has likewise said that he will convey the same matter to the Information and Broadcasting adviser.