Bangladesh Not Traveling to India for World Cup Amid Security Concerns, Government Stands Firm

Speculation surrounding Bangladesh’s participation in the World Cup has come to an end following a direct announcement from the government. Within the deadline set by the International Cricket Council (ICC), it has been clearly stated that the Bangladesh team will not travel to India for the World Cup due to security concerns. There has been no indication of any change in this decision from the authorities concerned.

In light of the ICC’s 24-hour deadline to take a final decision on the World Cup, Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul and senior officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held a meeting on Thursday at a hotel in the capital with the players included in the World Cup squad.

After the meeting, Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul reiterated the government’s position, saying,
**“The decision not to travel to India for the World Cup has been taken by the government. They remain firm on that position. There has been no change in the security concerns that led to the decision not to go to India.”**

Explaining the players’ efforts and the current situation, the sports adviser further said,
**“Our cricketers have worked hard to earn qualification for the World Cup, but there has been no change in the security risk situation regarding playing in India. He said, the decision not to travel to India for the World Cup has been taken by the government. They remain firm on that position. There has been no change in the security concerns that led to the decision not to go to India.”**

Highlighting a real-life incident behind the security concerns, Asif Nazrul said,
**“This concern does not stem from any imaginary perception; rather, it has arisen from a real incident, where the Indian cricket board failed to provide security to one of our top players (Mustafizur Rahman) under pressure from extremists and asked him to leave India. Since the Indian cricket board is an extended arm of the government and could not even ensure the security of one player, neither the ICC nor the Indian government has been able to provide any assurance that they can ensure the security of our entire team, journalists, and spectators.”**