BCB writes to Army chief seeking security assurance for conduct of the World Cup

The ICC Women's T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Bangladesh in October, is facing potential jeopardy due to political instability following the imposition of a state of emergency by the former government and violent protests. In light of these developments, the ICC is considering alternative venues.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is still hopeful and has reached out to the Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army, General Waker-uz-Zaman, requesting assurances on security for the World Cup. This communication took place on Thursday, as the BCB seeks to address the security concerns associated with hosting the tournament.

The Women’s T20 World Cup is slated to take place from October 3 to 20 with ten teams participating. The ICC had earlier indicated that they were monitoring the situation in Bangladesh. Alternatives under consideration include India, the United Arab Emirates, and Sri Lanka.

Following the departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, several BCB officials, including President Nazmul Hasan, were forced to leave the country due to their support for Hasina's party, the Awami League. This has led to instability within the BCB and cast doubt on the World Cup’s organization.

Iftikhar Ahmed Mithu, Chairman of the BCB’s Umpire Committee, told Cricbuzz, "We are working on organizing the tournament. Honestly, there aren't many people available in the country, and on Thursday, we sent a letter to the Chief of Staff regarding the security of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. We have only two months left."

He added, "The ICC contacted us two days ago, and we responded that we would update them soon. Once an interim government is formed, we need to provide them with security assurances because only the country’s law enforcement agencies can provide this assurance, not the board or any other entity. Thus, we have sent the letter today and will inform the ICC once we receive written assurance from the military."