Bangladesh look to mend India ties after World Cup absence

Aminul Haque, the newly appointed State Minister for Youth and Sports, said the government is looking to resolve issues with India while maintaining friendly relations with neighbouring countries.

Bangladesh did not participate in the ongoing T20 World Cup after the 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, attention is on resolving issues with India, especially after forgoing the T20 World Cup.

"After the oath-taking ceremony, I met with the Deputy High Commissioner of India. I discussed the T20 World Cup issue with him. We want to resolve this quickly through discussions and maintain friendly relations with all our neighboring countries," Aminul told reporters.

"You know that because of diplomatic complications, we could not play in the World Cup. If those issues had been discussed earlier, our team might have participated," he said.

Aminul said the previous Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election was questionable and that he would address the issue with concerned authorities.

"Regarding the Cricket Board election, it was questionable. This matter is regulated by the ICC. Within the framework of regulations, whatever needs to be done will be addressed through discussions," he said.

Aminul added the government would move to resolve legal cases against former national captain Shakib Al Hasan and ex-skipper Mashrafe Mortaza, opening the door for their return to cricket.

"As for Shakib and Mashrafe, this is a state-level decision. They are legendary cricketers, and we appreciate their contributions. However, there are cases filed against them that need to be addressed. We want them to return to Bangladesh as soon as possible," said Aminul.