The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is gearing up to launch a women’s edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in July 2026. Rubaba Dowla, Director of BCB and Chairperson of the Women’s Wing, disclosed this development, although the status of cricketing ties with India remains uncertain.
Rubaba Dowla refrained from commenting on the resumption of cricket matches and the planned tours by the Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams to Bangladesh, which were postponed due to prevailing conditions in the country. The strained cricket relations between the two nations reached a low point during an interim government’s tenure in Bangladesh.
Amid calls from some Indians urging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to reconsider sending teams to Bangladesh following incidents of violence, the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their 2026 squad. This decision led to tensions, prompting the BCB to request relocating their team’s matches in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 from India to Sri Lanka, citing player safety concerns. However, the ICC dismissed the request, stating no credible security threats existed. Consequently, Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland in the T20 World Cup.
After a series of negotiations, the BCB avoided a substantial fine from the ICC and secured hosting rights for an ICC event in 2028. Additionally, Bangladesh temporarily prohibited the broadcast of IPL matches in the country, a ban that was later lifted. Although India and Bangladesh are slated to engage in a series as per the ICC Future Tour Programme, the matches are currently on hold.
