The Bangladesh National Cricket Team is among the 12 full-member teams which have the status to play all three formats. Run by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the team gained full member status in 2000.

After gaining independence from Pakistan in 1971, it took nearly six years for Bangladesh to become an associate member of the ICC. Before gaining a full-member status, Bangladesh won its major title in the form of the 1997 ICC Trophy in Malaysia which helped them qualify for the 1999 Cricket World Cup. 

They surprised everyone in that edition of the World Cup by defeating Pakistan, the eventual finalists, in a group game at Northampton. Over the years, the team has delivered upsets in major ICC tournaments by beating higher-ranked teams, including India, England, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Having earned its Test status in 2000, Bangladesh played its first-ever Test match, under the leadership of Naimur Rahman, against India in Dhaka. They bagged their maiden Test victory in 2005, where they defeated Zimbabwe at MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong. Before bagging their first Test win, they gave a big scare to Pakistan in the 2003 Multan Test, which the host eventually won only by a single wicket.

Notably, the record for the most consecutive Test match losses by a country belongs to Bangladesh, who endured a staggering 21 straight defeats between November 15, 2001, and February 19, 2004, the longest losing streak in Test cricket history. They also hold the record for the longest losing streak in ODI cricket when they endured 23 consecutive defeats from October 8, 1999, to October 9, 2002.

In June 2005, they beat Australia in an ODI Tri-Series in England, which was touted as "the greatest upset in 2,250 one-day internationals" by Wisden.

In the following decade, the team won numerous matches at home and abroad, including series victories over India, Pakistan, and Australia. Another prominent moment in their history came during the 2015 World Cup, where they qualified for the quarterfinals by beating England. Two years later, they played their first ICC semifinal during the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.

Over the years, Bangladesh has produced several sensational cricketers—Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, and Mahmudullah—each of whom has played a pivotal role in shaping the team’s rich cricketing history.

The team's performance has also improved over the years with the Test side bagging their first-ever wins against England and Australia in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

(As of September 2025)