Bangladesh should have participated in this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, a government-appointed inquiry committee has concluded, holding the then interim government and its sports adviser Dr Asif Nazrul primarily responsible for the country’s absence from the tournament.

“Bangladesh should have gone and participated in the tournament,” committee member Barrister Faisal Dastagir said on Tuesday while releasing the 22-page report at the National Sports Council conference room.

The three-member committee found that political tensions between India and Bangladesh, the International Cricket Council’s refusal to relocate Bangladesh’s matches and government intervention had a “very high” impact on the decision not to participate. The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s failure in negotiations was rated as having a “high” impact, while a breakdown in communication was assessed as having a “medium” impact.

Dastagir said the committee had concluded, after examining media reports and speaking to people familiar with the matter, that Asif Nazrul, who was the interim government’s youth and sports adviser at the time, was responsible for the decision, along with the government.

The committee said the players and supporters had suffered most as a result of Bangladesh’s absence and concluded that the national team should have travelled to the tournament.

The report included testimony from BCB president Tamim Iqbal, who criticised the role of political considerations in the decision.

“Personal grudges powered by another country’s opinion should not be the factor in destroying the dreams of players and people of Bangladesh,” Tamim was quoted as saying.

He alleged that security concerns had been used as a pretext and that the decision was driven more by political positioning and an anti-India sentiment than genuine sporting considerations. According to Tamim’s testimony, the sports adviser and government officials initially favoured Bangladesh’s participation before subsequently changing their position.

Tamim also told the committee that 14 teams had opposed Bangladesh’s request to move its matches out of India, while the Pakistan Cricket Board had supported the proposed venue change.

The dispute began on Jan 3 after Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their squad following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Amid deteriorating relations between India and Bangladesh, the BCB subsequently asked the ICC to move Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. The ICC rejected the request after reviewing security assessments and said there was no credible or verifiable threat to Bangladesh players, officials, media or supporters in India.

On Jan 21, the ICC Board confirmed that Bangladesh’s matches would remain in India. The governing body said changing the schedule at that stage was not feasible and could undermine the integrity of future ICC events. Bangladesh subsequently refused to participate under the published schedule and were replaced by Scotland on Jan 24. The tournament was held from Feb 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka.

The decision generated considerable controversy in Bangladesh, with players reportedly keen to participate despite the government’s position. State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque announced in March that an investigation would be conducted into why Bangladesh had missed the tournament.

The National Sports Council formally constituted the three-member committee on May 10. It was headed by Dr A.K.M. Oli Ullah, additional secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, with former national captain Habibul Bashar and Dastagir as members. The panel was initially asked to submit its findings within 15 working days.

The committee interviewed 12 people and included summaries of their accounts in its report. However, it acknowledged that it was unable to obtain statements from Asif Nazrul and former BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul. The committee also did not contact the ICC during its investigation.

Nazrul, after the report was released, said he had never denied that he made the decision not to send the team to India. In a Facebook post, he said the decision was primarily his as sports adviser and defended it on grounds of national dignity, the safety of cricketers, journalists and supporters, and stability ahead of Bangladesh’s national election.

Nazrul also questioned why the matter had been investigated several months after the tournament and maintained that the interim government had made extensive efforts to have Bangladesh’s matches moved to another venue.

The committee recommended that cricket be kept separate from political disputes, that the BCB’s independence be strengthened, and that communication between the government, board and other stakeholders be improved during crises.

It also called for greater priority to be given to players’ welfare and security and recommended the development of a national framework for sports diplomacy.