The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has broken its silence following the ICC's decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the upcoming T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The BCB's statement, delivered on Saturday, January 24, 2026, acknowledges the decision while hinting at underlying tensions between the board and the International Cricket Council.

According to BCB media committee chairman Amjad Hossain, the board had anticipated the ICC's unwillingness to accommodate Bangladesh's request to relocate their matches from India. Hossain stated that the BCB "tried its best" but knew the ICC "will not do it or do not want to" in terms of meeting Bangladesh's request. He further added, "Even after that, we tried in our own way and made requests. Since they will not do it or do not want to, there is nothing more we can do".

The ICC's decision stems from the BCB's persistent concerns regarding the safety of its players in India. These concerns were heightened after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders, an IPL franchise, to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman. This directive followed online protests by right-wing Hindu groups in India, citing alleged attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Although Dhaka claims Indian media has exaggerated the violence.

In response, the BCB requested the ICC to shift Bangladesh's matches to Sri Lanka, the other co-host of the tournament. However, the ICC rejected this request, asserting that there was "no credible or verifiable security threat to the safety" of the Bangladesh team. The ICC's decision followed what they described as "an extensive process to address the concerns raised by the BCB about playing in India". This process included "multiple rounds of dialogue conducted in a transparent and constructive manner" through video conferences and in-person meetings. The ICC ultimately asked the BCB to confirm within 24 hours whether the team would participate in the tournament as scheduled, but did not receive confirmation.

Aminul Islam Bulbul, the BCB President, had previously stated the board's firm stance: "We want to play the World Cup, but we won't play in India. We will keep fighting". He also suggested that the ICC would suffer from Bangladesh's exclusion, potentially losing out on a large viewership.

The ICC's final decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland was based on Scotland's ranking as the highest-ranked T20I side that had not originally qualified for the tournament. Scotland will now join England, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies in Group C.

The situation has drawn criticism from some within the cricketing community. Suyed Ashraful Haque, former BCB general secretary, stated that Bangladesh "has overplayed its hand in this matter" and that the decision to withdraw hurts the progress of cricket in the country. He also deemed the demand to shift matches to Sri Lanka as unrealistic.

Adding another layer of complexity, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has voiced support for Bangladesh, alleging unfair treatment by the ICC. Naqvi indicated that Pakistan might reconsider its own participation in the T20 World Cup.

The T20 World Cup is scheduled to commence on February 7 and will run through March 8. The absence of Bangladesh marks a significant disruption to the tournament.