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The official investigative findings into Bangladesh’s historic withdrawal from the ICC World Cup held on Indian soil earlier this year will be made public next week, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque announced on Sunday (September 6).
Bangladesh missed an ICC global tournament for the first time since 1999 (May 1999) after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced in February (February 2026) that the national team would not travel to India following threats from extremist Hindutva elements, which had previously led to pacer Mustafizur Rahman being excluded from the IPL. Although the then-BCB directors lobbied heavily to relocate Bangladesh's fixtures to Sri Lanka, the ICC rejected the proposal, resulting in Bangladesh's complete omission from the tournament.
In March (March 2026), the Ministry of Youth and Sports formed a three-member inquiry committee to determine whether genuine security threats underpinned the withdrawal or whether other administrative motivations drove the board's decision.
The committee is headed by Dr. A.K.M. Oli Ullah, Additional Secretary (Administration Division) of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, alongside former national team captain and current chief selector Habibul Bashar, and Supreme Court advocate and sports organizer Barrister Faisal Dastagir.
Despite more than four months passing without an official update, the state minister assured reporters that the wait is nearly over. "Insha'Allah, you will receive the report on our withdrawal from the World Cup next week," Aminul Haque stated on Sunday.
Explaining the brief procedural delay, the state minister noted that the key committee member tasked with formally placing the findings is currently overseas: "The individual designated to submit the inquiry report is abroad at the moment. As soon as he returns, the report will be presented before the media next week."
