The World Cup Opening Committee promises to stage a grand 135-minute spellbinding show for the VVIP guests and fans to spark the opening of the World Cup Cricket Championship on February 17 here at Bangabandhu National Stadium.
The spectacular show is expected to begin at 5.50 pm. Prior to the main event, a pre-show of 55 minutes will begin at 4.55 pm.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to declare the meet open.
‘The grand 30 million US dollar inaugural show is being organised jointly by International Cricket Conference (ICC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB),’ Member Secretary of Local Organising Secretary Dewan Shafiul Arefin Tutul told BSS.
ICC appointed Wiz Craft and local Ad-firm Bangladesh Asiatic Events are jointly co-hosting the mesmerizing opening show.
Tutul also informed that ICC would provide additional one lakh US dollar each day for hosting the eight matches in Bangladesh. This fund includes expenses of players, coaches, officials, physio, match referee, umpires and ICC officials.
BCB director Tutul said, ‘This is one of the great challenges for Bangladesh to co-host World Cup Cricket matches along with seasoned campaigners India and Sri Lanka. It also gives Bangladesh opportunities to get their names written in golden words in the history by hosting the opening, six group matches and two quarter-finals with flying colour.’
He said, ‘We are lucky to have a Prime Minister like Sheikh Hasina who loves sports and has been quite benevolent by dishing out a fund of Taka 304 crores 8 eight lakh and 22 thousand from national exchequer for the beatification and renovation of five stadiums of the country only for the purpose of World Cup cricket meet.’
He said the construction and beautification of the two stadiums in Dhaka – Bangabandhu National Stadium and Sher-e- Bangla National Stadium – as well as Khan Shaheb Osmani Stadium in Narayanganj, Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna and Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong are nearing completion.
The pre-show will begin at 4.55 with four female and four male singers rendering a song to herald the evening with a promise of more to follow. The main event will start with the arrival of Prime Minister and other VVIPs.
The opening programme has been divided into five parts. In the first part, a beautifully decorated rickshaw named ‘Lead’ will carry 14 captains and it will be followed by members of their 14 teams joining the march past.
The gala programme kicks off with singer Abrar Tipu entering the BNS on a superbly decorated car and singing a ‘welcome song’.
The welcome song begins with ‘O Prithibi, Ebar ashey Banglake now chiney.. O prithibi, Ebar ashey Banglake now chiney (Hey the world, now is the time to know about Bangladesh).
The 6.2-minute-long ‘welcome song’ written by Zulfiqar Russell will be directed by famous music director and singer Ebrar Tipu who will also sing the song along with Mila Kona.
Abrar Tipu who had his schooling from India and England said there will be 18 instruments used including flute, Behala, Tabla, Dhol and Shenai with 40 musicians taking part in it.
India’s celebrated event ‘Symphony of Colours’ and Sri Lanka’s celebrated event ‘The Pearl of Indian Ocean’ will be performed for 20 minutes.
Then a dance programme directed by Shamim Ara Nipa and Shibly Mohamnmad will be performed for 20 minutes.
A cultural programme depicting the glorious Language Movement, War of Liberation, Bangaban-dhu’s March 7 speech,
Bengali New Year, cultural dance of Chakma, Rakhine, Marma, Shautal and Garo tribes will be presented by 2,100 school and college students and 350 members of the Armed Forces.
This programme is choreographed by famous Indian Santosh Sethji.
Then a 60-foot dais will roll into the BNS where Sabina Yasmin, Runa Laila and Mumtaz will sing a song for 9 minutes in medley style.
Finally, in a well decorated car, Shankar Mahdevan will enter the stadium and sing the theme song composed by Bollywood’s famous team of music directors Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy.
This official theme song of World Cup 2011 has been composed in the three versions of the song titled ‘De Ghumaa Ke’ in Bengali, Hindi and Sinhalese but only Hindi and Bangla will be presented on the inaugural function.
The opening function will be rounded off with a eye catching fire work brought in from China.
