Days after officially replacing Bangladesh with Scotland in the upcoming T20 World Cup, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected accreditation applications from Bangladeshi journalists seeking to cover the tournament. The event is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.

As a result of the decision, media personnel from Bangladesh will not be allowed to report on matches in either of the host countries. The move follows Bangladesh’s earlier decision not to travel to India for the tournament, citing security concerns—a stance that has strained relations between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the ICC.

On January 24, the ICC formally confirmed Bangladesh’s replacement by Scotland in the World Cup. BCB media committee chairman Amzad Hossain told The Daily Star on Monday that between 130 and 150 Bangladeshi journalists had applied for accreditation.

“To my knowledge, all Bangladeshi journalists were rejected. Around 130 to 150 journalists applied this year, but none were granted accreditation,” Amzad said.

Several journalists have also alleged that some Bangladeshi photojournalists initially received approval emails on January 20 and 21, only to have their accreditations withdrawn later.

“I received an approval email from the ICC media department on January 20 along with a visa support letter. But today I received another email saying my application was rejected,” said Mir Farid, a special photojournalist with the Bengali daily Kaler Kantho.

Bangladesh has participated in ICC World Cups since 1999, and Bangladeshi journalists have traditionally covered ICC tournaments without interruption. Reacting to the development, Arifur Rahman, a senior sports journalist and president of the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA), said discussions would be held with two other journalist bodies—the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) and the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Community (BSJC)—to decide on a response.

“A strong protest letter should be sent to the ICC through the Ministry of Information and the BCB, seeking an explanation. Since Sri Lanka is also a host, the ICC could have accommodated us there,” Arifur said.

Earlier this month, Interim Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul had announced that Bangladesh would not participate in the T20 World Cup, citing national security concerns and the country’s dignity. This followed the decision to drop Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League.

Nazrul said Bangladesh would not compromise on the safety of its cricketers or the country’s overall security. These developments came amid growing resentment in India over reports of violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Mustafizur Rahman, stating that it could not guarantee his safety. KKR subsequently released the player, who had been signed for ₹92 million.

The decision triggered a strong backlash in Dhaka, with Nazrul stating that he no longer considered India a safe destination for the national team. He also urged the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to stop broadcasting IPL matches in Bangladesh, leading to an official ban on all IPL-related content on Monday.

The BCB later formally informed the ICC that it would not travel to India for the tournament and requested that the matches be shifted to a neutral venue.