Not too long ago, the IPL had quietly disappeared from Bangladeshi screens. After all the back-and-forth among the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), BCCI and the ICC, Bangladesh simply banned the broadcast of the IPL in their country. It left fans wondering why one of the world’s biggest leagues had suddenly become inaccessible. That silence has now been broken. And the timing is interesting as well.
Bangladesh have rolled back their stance on IPL broadcasts, just as they move aggressively to host India later this year. It may not be officially linked, but you can connect the dots.
IPL ban reversed by Bangladesh
The change has come straight from the top. Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan has made it clear that the government will no longer stand in the way of IPL telecasts.
“No one applied to us to telecast the IPL. We don’t want to mix politics with sport. We will look at it from a commercial perspective, and if any channel applies to telecast the IPL, we will consider it positively,” Swapan said. He did not leave much room for doubt after that. “We will not bar anyone from telecasting it. If Star Sports wants to telecast it, they can. If any of our channels want to telecast it, we will take it positively, but we will not force anything.“
That is a clear departure from what happened under the previous administration. Back then, the tournament was effectively taken off air. Now, the message is simple. If someone wants to show it, they can.
Even the Cable Operators Association confirmed there is no restriction anymore. “If Star Sports telecasts the IPL in Bangladesh, they can do it because no one has asked us to stop it,” said Rezaul Karim Lablu. “Those directives do not have any value now. If the current government asks us to stop it, we will do so, but as of now, there are no such instructions.“
BAN vs IND series explains the timing
This is where things get interesting. Bangladesh have already cleared their calendar to host India in September. The Ireland tour has been pushed aside to make space. Three ODIs on September 1, 3 and 6. Three T20Is on September 9, 12 and 13, with India arriving on August 28.
The two boards were at loggerheads not too long ago. But now, Bangladesh want to please India as much as they can so that they can host a high-profile white-ball series that could also involve the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. There are other obvious reasons as well. An India series brings money. It brings eyeballs. It brings relevance. More importantly, it brings crucial ODI matches at a time when Bangladesh are fighting to stay in the top eight for direct World Cup qualification. They are currently ninth. That is not a comfortable place to be. Only top eight will qualify.
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