The Bangladesh Cricket Board has asked the top military officers in the country for a guarantee of safety to hold the women’s T20 World Cup, which is planned for October 3-20. This comes as the nation faces political turmoil after the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The women’s T20 World Cup will take place in two cities in Bangladesh: Sylhet and Mirpur. According to Cricbuzz, the BCB has sent a letter to Bangladesh’s army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, asking for a guarantee of safety for the event.
The practice matches for the women’s T20 World Cup are scheduled to start on September 27.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has been keeping an eye on the situation since violent protests against the government resulted in hundreds of deaths and ended with the resignation and departure of former PM Hasina.
It is possible that the ICC might choose to hold the tournament in a different location within the same time zone, which could mean India, the UAE, or Sri Lanka.
The current president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Nazmul Hasan Papon, has left the country along with some other board directors. These directors were thought to have support from the former Prime Minister’s party, the Awami League.
But, some other directors are still in Dhaka and they hope the tournament won’t move from Bangladesh.
Iftekhar Ahmed Mithu, who leads the BCB’s umpiring committee, said, “We are trying to hold the tournament.” He added, “Honestly, not many of us are here in the country. On Thursday (August 8), we sent a letter to the Army Chief asking for assurance about the security for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup because we only have two months left.”
“The ICC contacted us two days ago, and we responded that we would get back to them soon.” “Even after the temporary government is established, we need to provide them with a security guarantee, which can only be provided by a national law enforcement agency, not by the board or anyone else. So, we sent them a letter, and once we receive a written assurance from them (the Army), we will let the ICC know,” he explained.
