The Bangladesh squad are placed in their group with teams like England, West Indies, Nepal and Italy.
In a major development, Bangladesh has declared it refuses to travel to the host nation for the forthcoming T20 World Cup scheduled for next month "given the present circumstances" and has urged the ICC to move the team's fixtures to another venue.
This stance was triggered by the withdrawal of Bangladesh pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman by his IPL team following a request of the Indian cricket authorities, an incident that has escalated ongoing political strains between the two nations.
Urgent Discussions Results in Formal Request
Subsequently, an emergency meeting was held by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which now states it has "officially asked" the global cricket body to relocate every fixture involving Bangladesh.
"The board believes that this measure is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of Bangladeshi players, team officials, officials and other stakeholders and to ensure that the team can compete in the tournament in a secure and appropriate environment," the board's statement read.
Event Disruption Looms Due to Political Tensions
This development could create significant disruption to a competition which begins on February 7th and has previously been impacted by political tensions involving other nations.
The Tigers are due to play each of their four group-stage matches in India, featuring an opening day fixture against West Indies and a high-profile game against England in the city of Kolkata on 14 February.
The tournament is being co-hosted by Sri Lanka, where all Pakistan's matches will be held because of the existing diplomatic situation with India.
Background of Tensions
The death of a Hindu man during violent protests in Bangladesh has pushed already strained relations between Bangladesh and India into a deeper crisis.
This individual was accused of blasphemy and beaten to death by a crowd in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, an episode that led to protests by certain groups in the neighboring country.
Furthermore, sentiment against India in the country has reportedly grown in recent times.
Regarding Mustafizur Rahman, he was withdrawn from his IPL contract recently.
No specific explanation for the decision was provided by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), though a senior official alluded to "recent developments".
Board's Firm Position
"The BCB reviewed the circumstances in detail, considering developments over the past day and voiced serious apprehension over the general environment regarding the participation of the Bangladesh team in matches scheduled to be played in India," the statement continued.
"After a thorough assessment of the current conditions and the increasing worries regarding the security and safety of the Bangladeshi delegation in India... the board of directors decided that the team will not travel to India for the tournament as things stand."
The ICC have yet to comment on the matter.
T20 World Cup Roster Revealed:
- Litton Das (captain)
- Saif Hassan
- Tanzid Hasan
- Parvez Hossain Emon
- Towhid Hridoy
- Shamim Hossain
- Nurul Hasan (wicket-keeper)
- Mahedi Hasan
- Rishad Hossain
- Nasum Ahmed
- Mustafizur Rahman
- Tanzim Hasan Sakib
- Taskin Ahmed
- Mohammad Saifuddin
- Shoriful Islam