Dhaka, January 22, 2026 – The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially announced that the national cricket team will not participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India, citing unresolved security concerns. The tournament, scheduled to begin on February 7, features 20 teams competing across India.
BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul confirmed the decision, saying, “Our only demand is to play the World Cup — but not in India,” effectively ruling out Bangladesh’s participation in the event.
The announcement came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Bangladesh’s request to shift its matches to Sri Lanka, despite concerns raised by the board. Following discussions with national players and Bangladesh’s Adviser for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Asif Nazrul, the board maintained its stance.
Nazrul addressed the media, emphasizing that Bangladesh’s concerns were grounded in a “real incident” affecting a national player. “The security situation in India remains unchanged. Our security concerns did not materialize out of thin air. One of our cricketers was not provided adequate protection when threatened by extremist groups,” he said.
He added that Bangladesh still hopes the ICC will address the situation fairly, but the decision to opt out of the World Cup in India remains firm. The withdrawal raises fresh questions about tournament logistics and may affect the fixture schedule for the T20 World Cup 2026.