"Will Hindus in Bangladesh get more security?": Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury questions Mustafizur's IPL exit
Jan 05, 2026
New Delhi [India], January 5 : As the controversy erupted surrounding the removal of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury questioned whether this action would improve the security of Hindus in Bangladesh.
"IPL is a business, and during the players' auction, it doesn't happen that if a player is of a particular religion, he is given less money. Every team has players from every religion...By removing him (Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman), will the Hindus in Bangladesh get more security? The Yunus government is standing today only by raising anti-India slogans. Against this, senior people here decided to send it by Mustafizur Rahman. In today's time, things like sports are diplomacy. Was there any outcome of this? They are portraying Shah Rukh Khan as anti-India because he is a Muslim. Are there any BJP leaders who have not seen any movie of Shah Rukh Khan?... Why is this Hindu-Muslim brought into sports? What is happening in the country?," Chowdhury told ANI on Monday.
His statement came after the Bangladesh government decided to suspend the broadcast of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 matches in the country, following the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asking Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Mustafizur Rahman from their squad.
Following the announcement by the KKR that they had removed Bangladeshi player Rahman from their IPL 2026 roster in response to a directive from the BCCI regarding atrocities committed against minorities in Bangladesh.
"Under these circumstances, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has informed through an official letter that, until further notice, all IPL matches and related programs will remain suspended from broadcast/telecast in Bangladesh", the Press Information Department (PID) said in a statement.
KKR's decision followed BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia's statement that the apex cricket board had instructed the IPL franchise to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman "due to the recent developments".
