The Bangladesh government has formed a three-member inquiry committee to investigate the country’s controversial withdrawal from the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, a decision that triggered widespread criticism within cricket circles and raised questions over the handling of the issue by the previous administration.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Additional Secretary (Administration) Dr AKM Wali Ullah will head the committee.
Former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar and Supreme Court lawyer and sports organiser Barrister Faisal Dastagir have been appointed as members. The panel has been asked to submit its report within 15 working days.
Bangladesh withdrew from the T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from 7 February to 8 March this year, after the International Cricket Council (ICC) refused a request to shift Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka over security concerns.
The controversy emerged after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reportedly dropped Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL following threats from extremist groups.
The then Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), led by Aminul Islam, expressed concerns over the safety of players, officials and journalists travelling to India for the tournament.
After the ICC stated that security arrangements were adequate, the interim government subsequently directed the BCB to withdraw from the tournament – a decision that drew sharp criticism from former cricketers and sports analysts.
Current BCB ad-hoc committee chief and former national captain Tamim Iqbal recently termed the handling of the issue “not right,” saying Bangladesh should have pursued further dialogue with the ICC instead of missing a major global tournament.
“There might be players in that squad who will never play in a World Cup again,” Tamim said in an interview, expressing regret over the decision.
The formation of the inquiry panel comes amid broader changes within the Bangladesh cricket administration.
Earlier this month, the High Court dismissed a writ petition challenging the legality of the newly formed 11-member BCB ad-hoc committee headed by Tamim Iqbal.
