Amid T20 World Cup Snub, Bangladesh Clears Shooting Team’s Travel to India

Bangladesh will send a compact shooting contingent to India for the upcoming Asian Air Gun Championship, marking a notable clearance by the country’s interim government even as other sports tours remain restricted.

A senior official of the Bangladesh Shooting Federation confirmed on Thursday that the delegation will comprise one shooter and one coach, reflecting a limited but symbolic participation in the continental event.

“In the Bangladeshi delegation, there is one shooter and one coach. The shooter is Robiul Islam and the coach is Sharmin Aktar. The interim government has granted permission for them to travel to India and take part in the competition,” said Aleya Ferdousi, General Secretary of the federation, speaking to ANI over the phone.

She added that the delegation is scheduled to travel to India on January 31.

The clearance comes in the backdrop of heightened scrutiny over sporting travel between the two countries. Earlier, Bangladesh’s interim government had denied permission to the national cricket team to travel to India for the T20 World Cup, citing security concerns.

Now, under the leadership of Professor Muhammad Yunus, the interim administration has approved the shooters’ participation, suggesting a more nuanced, case-by-case approach to international sporting engagements.

Following the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s refusal to send its team for the T20 World Cup, the International Cricket Council replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament lineup.

Scotland, led by Richie Berrington, has featured in six previous editions of the T20 World Cup, in 2007, 2009, 2016, 2021, 2022 and 2024. The team has been placed in Group C, alongside England, Italy, Nepal and the West Indies.

Scotland will open its campaign on February 7 at Eden Gardens, where it is set to face the West Indies.

(With inputs from ANI)