By The South Asia Times

New Delhi - Already strained relations between Bangladesh and India have come under fresh pressure after Hindu extremist groups in India issued threats against Bangladeshi cricketers participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL), warning of protests and disruptions if players from Bangladesh are allowed to compete.

The Haryana unit of Shiv Sena has openly opposed the participation of Bangladeshi cricketers in the IPL, citing what it claims are continued atrocities against the Hindu community in Bangladesh amid political and social unrest.

Haryana Shiv Sena president Neeraj Sethi and other party leaders warned that they would not allow Bangali players to play cricket in India amid tensed relations with Dhaka 

The rhetoric escalated further in Ujjain, where others Hindu extremist leaders issued same warning and threats to disrupt IPL matches.

Hindu seers warned that cricket pitches could be damaged if Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman is permitted to play in India.

The fast bowler was recently acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Rs 9.20 crore, making him the only Bangladeshi player picked in the latest IPL auction.

Acharya Pavan Krishna Shastri of Shri Akhand Parshuram Akhada said Hindu groups would take to the streets “along with thousands of office-bearers” if matches involving Bangladeshi players go ahead, according to local news website Sanatan Prabhat.

Mahavir Nath, chief priest of the Rinmukteshwar Mahadev Temple in Ujjain, echoed the warning, claiming that “ascetic warriors” would storm stadiums to stop such matches. Other Hindu extremists organisations have issued similar statements.

The threats stem from anger over recent violent incidents in Bangladesh, including the killing of Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Osman Hadi Mahmud, a vocal critic of India. His supporters believe that he was targeted by an Indian intelligence agency, an allegation that New Delhi has not acknowledged.

Diplomatic relations between Dhaka and New Delhi have already been under strain due to a series of unresolved issues. Tensions deepened after the killing of Hadi in Bangladesh, in which the accused killer reportedly fled to India. 

Relations further deteriorated following a Bangladeshi court’s decision to sentence former prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid to death. Bangladesh has formally sought her extradition, but India has so far shown reluctance to hand her over, a stance that has caused sharp resentment in Dhaka.

With political, legal and communal disputes overlapping, analysts warn that the growing controversy around the IPL risks spilling over into broader diplomatic fallout. This is not the first time such threats have emerged in India. Hindu extremist groups have previously issued threats against Muslim cricketers from Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as against Muslim players within India itself.

Critics argue that hostility toward religious minorities, particularly Muslims, has increased in India since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, accusing him and leaders of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using rhetoric that marginalizes Muslims.

One of the most significant recent examples of communal violence was the February 2020 riots in Northeast Delhi, which left more than 50 people dead, the majority of them Muslim.