BNS ready for WC grand opening
Tuesday, 08 February 2011 Author / Source : SPORTS REPORTER Dhaka, Feb 7: With the crickets biggest extravaganza ICC Cricket World Cup knocking at the door, Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS) is prepared to hold the gala opening ceremony in every aspect.
National Sports Council (NSC) authority formally announced on February 7 that the renovation work of BNS is totally completed. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the new look BNS on February 14, three-day before the opening ceremony, said the press release sent by Ministry of Youth and Sports.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Ahad Ali Sarker on Monday visited the Bangabandhu National Stadium to see the renovation work. The inaugural ceremony of the mega event will be held at the BNS on February 17.
A staggering amount of Tk. 35.08 crore has been spent for the renovation work, modernisation along with the beautification of the stadium and its surrounding areas in order to make the programme of the showcase event a successful one.
The renovation and beautification work included building up the ICC hospitability box and BCB hospitability box newly, expansion and development of VIP lounge and Media Centre, construction of gallery shed along with CCTV and giant screen - a length of 82feet.
Also 26 thousand chairs have been set up in gallery, three new gates have been built alongside the setting up a replica of World Cup trophy in front of the Baitul Mokarram as part of the preparation work for the crickets biggest extravaganza what is called by ICC a third biggest sporting event. Moreover, all vendors and beggars have already been ousted from the whole area in order to portrait a beautiful Dhaka city.
With Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka jointly organising the ICC Cricket World Cup, the inaugural gala ceremony of the greatest event of cricket will be held at Bangabandhu National Stadium. Bangladesh will host eight matches including two quarterfinals.
Bangladesh will take on India on the opening match at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on February 19. Meanwhile, the tickets for the opening ceremony will go on sale from February 10 at the 10 booths of Dhaka Bank across the country, said the BCB president AHM Mustafa Kamal, MP, on Sunday.
The BCB will release the tickets in seven divisions instead of 64 districts. It was known that a total of 10 thousands tickets will go on sale for the general people which they would have to buy at a considerable higher rate.
Local Organising Committee (LOC) ticket and sitting committee chairman GS Hasan Tamim informed that the 10 outlets of the Dhaka Bank are - Motijheel, Gulshan, Dhanmondi, Uttara, Mirpur, Old Dhaka, Malibagh, Karwan Bazar and two other branches.
The rate of the gallery tickets will go on sale at an amount of Tk. 1000. The international gallery tickets rate will be Tk. 10,000 while the International Marquee Box tickets rate will be Tk. 20,000. A person can buy a maximum number of four tickets at a time.
In order to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to Cricket World Cup venues during opening ceremony and cricket matches, Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) has taken all-out measures. We have ensured 800 kilowatt electricity supply per hour for the world cup cricket venues including Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah, Managing Director of DPDC Abdus Sobhan told BSS on Monday.
He said three alternative power distribution lines would be reserved to supply uninterrupted electricity to the floodlights of the Bangabandhu National Stadium for opening ceremony and Mirpur Stadium for the day-night matches of the world cup.
Besides, he said DPDC has also arranged electricity supply to eight giant screens, to be set up in different parts of the capital to telecast the live cricket matches. We will also provide generators as standby sources of electricity for the giant screens, the DPDC MD added.
On the other hand, the city is set to get the heat of World Cup fully on February 9 as the Canada is the first World Cup team to arrive in Dhaka. Canada who defeated Bangladesh stunningly in 2003 World Cup will play a practice match against Bangladesh on February 12 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chittagong.
Pakistan will be the second team to arrive in Dhaka on February 12. They will play a practice match against Bangladesh on February 15 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS).
England is the other team which will visit Bangladesh in order to play World Cup practice match against Canada and Pakistan on February 16 and 18 respectively.
