Bangladesh signals reset in India cricket ties after World Cup boycott

“After attending the oath-taking ceremony, I met with the Deputy High Commissioner of India at the Parliament building. I discussed this matter (T20 World Cup) with him. He was very friendly, and I also spoke to him in a friendly manner,” Haque was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

Haque emphasised that Dhaka is keen to resolve all disputes. “I told him that we want to resolve this issue quickly through discussions because we want to maintain friendly relations with all our neighboring countries. From sports to all other sectors, we want to build a sincere and cordial relationship,” he said.

Reflecting on Bangladesh’s absence from the global tournament, Haque — the former national football captain — attributed the decision to strained ties. “You know that because of diplomatic complications, we could not play in the World Cup. If those issues had been discussed and settled earlier, our team might have participated,” he said.

Following its election victory, the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government has indicated that it wants to recalibrate ties. Besides, there is a sense in Dhaka that the interim government under Prof Mohammad Yunus mishandled the situation by boycotting the World Cup. Although there is resentment over Mustafizur’s exclusion from the IPL, and India for what is perceived to be an inappropriate response, the boycott decision is being seen as counterproductive.

Meanwhile, the Sports Minister also questioned the legitimacy of the recent BCB polls, indirectly questioning the standing of board president Aminul Islam. “Regarding the cricket board election, I have said before and I still say that it was questionable,” Haque said.

“Look, this matter is regulated by the ICC. Within the framework of the law and regulations, whatever needs to be done will be addressed through discussions. After sitting down and reviewing everything properly, I will comment further,” he said.

The Daily Star also reported that the BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul had left the country citing personal reasons while the board’s CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury has departed for Australia to join his family residing there.