Bangladesh Govt. Seeks To Shake Hands With India After T20 World Cup 2026 Fiasco

State Minister Aminul Haque said the government wants to resolve issues with India after Bangladesh skipped the T20 World Cup.

Bangladesh’s newly appointed State Minister for Youth and Sports, Aminul Haque, has said the government is keen to resolve recent issues with India while maintaining friendly relations with neighbouring countries.

Bangladesh did not participate in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after the Yunus-led interim government decided against sending the national team, citing security concerns. Following the recent general election, which saw the Bangladesh Nationalist Party form the government with a majority, attention has turned to restoring diplomatic and sporting ties with India.

Speaking after his swearing-in ceremony, Aminul revealed that he had already initiated discussions. As quoted by Cricbuzz, he said, “After attending the oath-taking ceremony today, I met with the Deputy High Commissioner of India at the Parliament building. I discussed this matter (T20 World Cup issue) with him. He was very friendly, and I also spoke to him in a friendly manner. 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.”

“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 added.

Aminul On Elections And Shakib Al Hasan Inclusion

Aminul also addressed concerns over the previous Bangladesh Cricket Board election, which saw Aminul Islam become board president. “Regarding the Cricket Board election, I have said before and I still say that it was questionable,” said Aminul.

“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.

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The minister also confirmed that the government will move to resolve legal cases involving former national captain Shakib Al Hasan and ex-skipper Mashrafe Mortaza, both of whom served in the previous government and are currently facing cases after the political transition.

“As for Shakib and Mashrafe, this is a state-level decision. They are legendary cricketers of Bangladesh, and we deeply appreciate their contributions. However, there are cases filed against them, and those will need to be addressed through proper state decisions. We want them to return to Bangladesh as soon as possible,” said Aminul.