Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan today said the government has not ruled out participating in the international cricket tournaments, rather sought alternative venues to ensure the safety of its players and spectators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe government has never said that we won\u2019t play. We\u2019ve clearly stated that we\u2019re interested in participating in the World Cup. What we\u2019ve asked for is an alternative venue,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Adviser was speaking to reporters after attending a meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs held at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at Bangladesh Secretariat today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fouzul said Bangladesh remains interested in taking part in the Cricket World Cup and other ICC events, provided that suitable arrangements are made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Referring to previous precedents, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said the International Cricket Council (ICC) has previously arranged neutral venues for teams facing security or political concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIndia didn\u2019t play in Pakistan for many years and played matches in different countries. So, providing an alternative venue is nothing unusual,\u201d he added.
He stressed that Bangladesh was not making any unprecedented or unreasonable demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is not something absurd or an innovation coming out of nowhere. It is a practice that already exists in international cricket,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Explaining the rationale behind the government\u2019s decision, the Adviser referred to security concerns arising from political developments in the host country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He cited the exclusion of Bangladesh famed pacer Mustafizur Rahman from a previous event as a key factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know why Mustafiz was excluded. Certain political groups\u2026 demanded that he be dropped,\u201d Khan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn that context, we considered the safety of our players and the security of spectators and that is why we took this decision,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fouzul reiterated that the government\u2019s priority is to ensure a safe and secure environment for Bangladeshi athletes whenever they compete abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur position is based on ensuring the safety of our players and fans. This is a policy-based stand, not a political one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khan also expressed hope that the ICC would address Bangladesh\u2019s concerns in line with established international practices and facilitate arrangements that allow the team to participate without compromising security.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan today said the government has not ruled out participating in the international cricket tournaments, rather sought alternative venues to ensure the safety of its players and spectators. \u201cThe government has never said that we won\u2019t play. We\u2019ve clearly stated that we\u2019re interested in participating in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":32098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,93],"tags":[54],"class_list":["post-32097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bangladesh","category-nationwide","tag-54"],"yoast_head":"\n