Bangladesh cricketer Mohammad Ashraful. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)
Protests are burning Bangladesh as the country is facing its worst-ever crisis leading PM Sheikh Haseena to vacate the country and find refuge elsewhere. The protests stemmed from students who demanded a fairer process in the government jobs highlighting the uncertainties minorities are living in. With the developments, the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 scheduled to be held in Bangladesh has taken a hit.
Amidst the growing tension, cricket is playing a survival game, and the former Bangladesh cricketer, Mohammad Ashraful has condemned the situation. Notably, Ashraful is currently in the United Kingdom, featuring for Portsmouth Cricket Club. Shedding light on the conditions back home, the former Bangladesh batter has quipped that PM Hasina has done a lot of damage to the country.
“It’s good that Sheikh Hasina is no longer in power now. Sobai swaadhin kothata bolse theeki, kintu se (Hasina) polailo toh polailo, deshtaare prochur kkhoti koira diyaa gyalo (People are talking about being independent now that Hasina has fled, but she did a lot of damage to the country),” Ashraful was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
“Over the last few days, so many businesses have been ruined. Students’ studies have been horribly affected for the past month. It’s as bad as an irreparable loss. My brothers and sisters in Bangladesh cannot step out of the house. Such is the situation there,” he added.
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Bangladesh Cricket hopes for comeback amid growing uncertainties
The protests have reached an extent where former Bangladesh skipper, Mashrafe Mortaza’s house was set on fire. Former Bangladesh Captain, Shakib Al Hasan’s party office in Magura was also taken down by the miscreants. Furthering the damage to noted personalities, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon’s ancestral house at Bhairab, Kishoreganj was also not spared.
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Talking about Bangladesh’s upcoming cricketing fixtures, they will tour Pakistan for two Tests with the first Test scheduled to commence on August 21. They will subsequently tour India for two Tests and three T20Is starting in mid-September.