Kamal Ghorui
Bangladesh has indicated a significant shift in its stance on broadcasting the Indian Premier League (IPL), with the newly appointed Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan confirming that there is no restriction on telecasting the tournament in the country.The development comes after uncertainty surrounding the IPL broadcast following a ban imposed by the previous interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus. The earlier directive had prevented local channels and operators from airing the tournament, leaving fans without access to one of the world’s most popular T20 leagues.
However, the new administration appears to be taking a more flexible and commercially driven approach. Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Swapan clarified that no broadcaster had formally applied for telecast rights but assured that any such request would be considered positively.“No one applied to us to telecast the IPL. We don’t want to mix politics with sport. We will look at it from a commercial perspective,” Swapan said.He further emphasized that the government would not impose restrictions on broadcasters, including international networks.“We will not bar anyone from telecasting it. If Star Sports wants to telecast it, they can. If any of our channels want to telecast it, we will take it positively, but we will not force anything,” he added.The Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh has also backed the move. Office secretary Rezaul Karim Lablu confirmed that there are currently no directives preventing IPL broadcasts in the country.“If Star Sports telecasts the IPL in Bangladesh, they can do it because no one has asked us to stop it,” Lablu said.He further noted that the earlier directives issued by the interim government no longer hold authority.“Those directives do not have any value now. If the current government asks us to stop it, we will do so, but as of now, there are no such instructions,” he added.
