Dhaka, Bangladesh – Ziaul Haque Tanin had planned his February around the T20 World Cup.The former first-class cricketer turned sports-goods entrepreneur from Thakurgaon, in northwestern Bangladesh, had lined up a trip combining business, family visits and cricket fandom.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listTanin had secured a premium hospitality ticket at the famed Eden Gardens cricket stadium in Kolkata, where Bangladesh would take on Italy on February 9.Those plans were scrapped after Bangladesh said it would not send its men’s team to India for the tournament, citing security concerns.The Bangladesh Cricket Board had asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka, a request the governing body rejected. Bangladesh stood firm in their stance, resulting in their ouster from the tournament and Scotland’s inclusion at their expense.The decision has drawn Bangladesh’s most popular sport into a wider political dispute, dividing opinion between supporters of the government’s stance and those fearing long-term ramifications on the game.How cricket became a casualty of politicsTensions sharpened after January 3, when Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League, a move that Bangladeshi officials said highlighted the impact of extremist pressure on Indian cricket authorities.In Dhaka, the episode amplified wider resentment towards India, rooted in trade disputes and anger over New Delhi hosting fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since her ousting in August 2024. Advertisement In that charged atmosphere, cricket – Bangladesh’s most emotional public arena – became a proxy for questions of security and national dignity, with debate dominating social media, television talk shows and conversation …
