The International Cricket Council (ICC) has denied accreditation to Bangladeshi journalists seeking to cover the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.
As a result, media representatives from Bangladesh will be unable to report on matches in either host country. This decision follows Bangladesh’s earlier choice not to travel to India due to security concerns, a move that strained relations between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the ICC. On January 24, the ICC officially replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament.
BCB Media Committee Chairman Amzad Hossain confirmed to The Daily Star on Monday that around 130–150 Bangladeshi journalists had applied for accreditation.
“As far as I know, all Bangladeshi journalists were rejected. Around 130 to 150 journalists applied this year, but none received accreditation,” Amzad said.
Some journalists reported that a few Bangladeshi photojournalists initially received approval emails on January 20 and 21, but their accreditations were later revoked.
“I received an approval email from the ICC media department on January 20, which included a visa support letter. But today I got another email saying my application was rejected,” said Mir Farid, special photojournalist at Kaler Kantho.
Bangladesh has participated in ICC World Cups since 1999, and Bangladeshi journalists have regularly covered global ICC events. Senior journalist Arifur Rahman Babu was among four Bangladeshi reporters who covered the 1996 ICC World Cup, co-hosted by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
“Even if a team is not playing, journalists from an ICC Associate Member nation can still receive accreditation. I see no reason why everyone was rejected. I strongly condemn and protest this decision,” said Arifur, special correspondent at Jagonews24.com and president of the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA).
He added that he would consult with the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) and the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Community (BSJC) to decide on next steps.
“It seems the ICC is upset that Bangladesh is not participating and has shut the door on our journalists. This goes beyond courtesy and professionalism. This episode shows a darker side of the ICC,” he said.
“I will speak with the other two sports journalists’ organisations to explore possible actions. A strong protest letter should be sent to the ICC through the Ministry of Information and the BCB, requesting an explanation. Since Sri Lanka is a co-host, they could have accommodated us there,” Arifur added.
