Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has raised concerns over the safety of the Bangladesh national cricket team ahead of its scheduled tour to India,
He said, despite Bangladesh’s genuine security requests, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has acted otherwise.
“When India decides not to play in Pakistan, ICC complies. When Pakistan doesn’t want to play in India, ICC complies. When Bangladesh requested the same for genuine security reasons, the ICC has done the opposite,” Farooki wrote on his verified Facebook account.
He cited recent incidents, including the death of Manjur Laskar, a West Bengal-born Muslim man allegedly attacked over suspicion of being Bangladeshi, and political statements, including from Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray, warning against hosting Bangladesh in Mumbai, one of the scheduled match venues.
Farooki also highlighted the long-running anti-Bangladesh campaign that led to Mustafizur Rahman being removed from the IPL, noting that ICC’s own security assessments identified a moderate to high risk for Bangladesh players and fans in India, particularly if Mustafizur is included in the team.
He urged the ICC to consider relocating the matches to Sri Lanka to ensure the team’s safety and maintain neutrality.