BAN vs IND, ODI: BCB moves match from Dhaka

Following the opposition’s announcement of plans for a protest that could paralyze the capital on the same day, Bangladesh’s cricket board has moved the one-day international against India from Dhaka. The first Indian tour since 2015 begins next week in Bangladesh with a one-day international series on December 4, with all three matches originally scheduled for Dhaka. 

The third match in the series, scheduled for December 10, has been moved to Chittagong, a coastal city. 

This means that it won’t have to deal with a rally by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) that was expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to Dhaka’s streets. Since the beginning of the month, the BNP has attempted to compel the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign by organizing a number of large demonstrations all over the country.

“Chittagong was originally scheduled to host one Test. We felt there should be an ODI at the venue too,”

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) operations chief Jalal Yunus told AFP on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: AUS vs ENG, ODI: Umpire awaits Buttler’s appeal ruling verdict

The newspaper New Age, citing an unidentified BCB official, stated that the board had made the decision to avoid the rally. Jalal declined to comment on whether the protest was the cause of the late venue change.

Bangladesh will likewise have India for two Tests in Chittagong from December 14-18 and Dhaka from December 22-26.