The ICC World Cup 2011 opening ceremony which was organised by Bangladesh Cricket Board in Dhaka, has been rated as No 2 in the all time opening ceremonies like Olympic Games, World Cup Football, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games. An American based organisation, who carried out such survey every two years, informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) about the success of Bangladesh.
This was stated by BCB president AHM Mostafa Kamal at the certificate giving ceremony among the volunteers of the World Cup Cricket opening ceremony at the Shaheed Suhrawardy National Indoor Stadium on Friday.
He urged the students of school and colleges who acted as volunteers, to work hard and dedicate themselves for earning fame for the country so that Bangladesh could achieve the No 1 rating.
He further added that before the ICC World Cup opening ceremony in Dhaka, South Africa’s World Cup Football opening ceremony was in second position and Beijing Olympic Games’ ceremony was still on top.
The BCB chief further said that BCB has earned a net profit of Taka 57.49 crore by co-hosting the World Cup Cricket. “When we started the BCB we had Taka 50 crore in FDR account and now we have successfully increased it to Taka 90 crore. I can ensure you that the amount would be around Taka 150 crore by next year’s June.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attended the ceremony as chief guest. Finance Minister AMA Muhith, state minister for youth and sport Ahad Ali Sarkar, Bangladesh Olympic Association president and chief of Army Staff General Mohammad Abdul Mubeen, ICC Cricket World Cup local organizing committee convenor Dewan Shafiul Islam Tutul and youth and sports secretary Mahbub Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.
UNB adds: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her strong resolve to build a future generation in the country, which will turn out to be best in knowledge and science, and in sports.
“We want to groom our children as good citizens so they don’t go astray, and stay away from drugs and other mischief.
The Prime Minister distributed certificates among some of the volunteers of different schools and colleges who took part in the inaugural ceremony of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the capital on February 17 last year.
A documentary titled ‘Beautiful Bangladesh’ made on the eve of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was shown at the function while noted singers Ibrar Tipu, Balam, Arnab, Elita and Kona rendered the inaugural song of the last cricket world cup.
Some 1,800 boys and girls representing 15 renowned schools and colleges of the country, after month-long rigorous rehearsals, took part in the inaugural ceremony of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and made it a great success through their colourful physical display.
Terming the Awami League government as sports-friendly, Sheikh Hasina said her government always works for the development of country’s sports. “We’ve extended all kinds of support including construction of necessary sports infrastructures,”
She said sports expedites flourishing of culture and also reduces the criminal tendency.
The premier hoped that the next generation of the country will build themselves as ‘sonar manush’ to materialise the dream of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She said that in her previous term, Bangladesh got widespread recognition in the international cricket arena as the country had qualified for playing the ICC World Cup through winning the ICC Trophy beating Kenya in 1997.
In this regard, she mentioned that Bangladesh also got the ODI status during the tenure of the Awami League government as well as had been named as the 10th test playing nation of the cricketing world.
Hasina said apart from the male cricketers, the female cricketers of the country are also improving day by day as the Bangladesh eves cricket team has recently got the one-day status.
Mentioning that the ICC World T20 Tournament will be held in the country in 2014, she said all the necessary preparations would be taken from now onwards so that the tournament becomes world class and colourful.
Apart from organising the colourful opening ceremony, Bangladesh also hosted eight matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 as well as four practice matches.
-With The Independent input
