Hours after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government led by Tariq Rahman was sworn in on Tuesday, the new Minister of State for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque signaled that Dhaka is moving to mend strained cricket ties with India after the failure over the 2026 Men’s World Cup T20.
Bangladesh’s new sports minister Haque signaled a reset, saying he had held talks with India’s deputy high commissioner. He emphasized a desire to resolve differences through “friendly talks,” according to reports. Haque also criticized the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s choice of officials in charge of affairs during the fallout, calling them “questionable”.
Cricket relations became strained under the interim regime of Muhammad Yunus as India-Bangladesh relations took a hit overall.
The cricket impasse began in December 2024 over the release of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders. Dhaka considered the move unfair. Bangladesh, then under the Yunus regime, decided not to play his T20 World Cup matches in India. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup after it refused to travel to India citing “security concerns”.
The ICC eventually replaced Bangladesh with another team, Scotland. However, Bangladesh did not impose any sporting or administrative sanctions and secured future hosting options for him.
The development comes even after newly appointed minister Haque said he wanted to resolve the cases against Awami League loyalist cricketers Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza so that former captains could return to Bangladesh cricket. Both players have also served as Awami League MPs.
Since the inauguration of the Muhammad Yunus government in August 2024, Shakib has been unable to return to Bangladesh and Mortaza has not been seen in public. He faces multiple charges, including murder, dating back to the July-August 2024 protests against Sheikh Hasina.
DHAKA IS TRYING TO RESET CRICKET RELATIONS WITH INDIA
With a new government in power in Dhaka after the elections, former Bangladesh football captain, Aminul Haque, was sworn in as the Minister of State for Youth and Sports. He outlined his plans to mend strained cricket relations with India.
“I met the Deputy High Commissioner of India immediately after assuming office and discussed solving the problem through friendly talks. We want to maintain good relations with neighboring countries and solve problems in the sports arena through diplomatic dialogue. In cricket, necessary measures will be taken in accordance with ICC rules through discussion,” Aminul Haque said, according to Dhaka-based The Daily Star.
While Aminul’s comments hinted at a change, its current president Aminul Islam Bulbul has already left Bangladesh citing personal reasons. BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury confirmed that Bulbul had traveled to Australia, where his family lives, the newspaper reported.
“I have already said that the cricket board elections were disputed,” said Aminul, the state minister for youth and sports.
“We will sit down and discuss it. We want to go in the right direction. (Necessary steps) will be taken expeditiously,” Aminul added.
INDIA-BANGLADESH CRICKET TIES DURING THE YUNUS ERA
It was during the Yunus regime, in May 2025, that a new set of officials were elected to the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Aminul Islam Bulbul took over the leadership of the board.
During his tenure, the Bangladesh team withdrew from playing on Indian soil in the 2026 T20 World Cup due to security reasons. That’s when Bangladesh teamed up with Pakistan. The then Bangladesh sports advisor Asif Nazrul thanked Islamabad for supporting the boycott of the tournament by his own boycott of the match against India in Colombo. However, Pakistan later he went back on his decision and played the game and lost it.
Aminul Islam Bulbul played a key role in mediating between the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board after Islamabad announced it would boycott its match against India. The decision was eventually overturned after a high-stakes meeting with the ICC in Lahore. Bangladesh Cricket Board Chief Bulbul flew to Lahore at one in the morning to attend a meeting between Pakistani and ICC officials.
Now, after the fallout, the diplomatic outreach of Dhaka’s new BNP government suggests that restoring cricket ties with India is a priority for the Bangladeshi administration. While the T20 World Cup episode strained relations, Dhaka now seems committed to dialogue and preventing future disruptions.
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Issued by:
Sushim Mukul
Published on:
February 19, 2026