Amazing scenes prevailed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday. Following their heroic performance in the 2015 cricket World Cup, the Bangladesh cricket team were scheduled to arrive at 7:30pm yesterday yet, with more than two hours left before their arrival, the airport premises was already swarming with thousands of people who were waiting anxiously to catch a glimpse of their beloved heroes.
Directors and officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board were present to receive the Tigers for obvious reasons but the presence of thousands of excited fans was a sight to behold. The majority of the fans were clad in their favourite Bangladesh jerseys while the others brought along bandanas, placards and festoons containing messages of support for their heroes.
The road adjacent to the airport was packed with passionate supporters. The huge gathering was causing some trouble to the traffic system at the nearby areas but then again the passengers of different vehicles did not mind at all.
One such passenger said, “The roads are usually packed in Dhaka but today (yesterday) I do not mind. Our team played well and made us proud.”
Given the ongoing political unrest, security in and around the airport was beefed up but there was no unpleasant occurrence. Everyone was having a great time dancing to different chants and there were no signs of grievances or discontent among the fans. A few days have passed since the Tigers were ousted from the World Cup in controversial circumstances but not a single fan complained about any Bangladesh cricketer yesterday. They were just happy to be there.
Placards containing the words “ICC – Indian Cricket Council” and “Save the gentleman’s game” were prominent as Fazlur, a college student, said, “When you are playing against India you can never, ever expect a fair game. On top of this, it was a World Cup game. They had to win at any cost and by any means.”
With the passage of time, however, the fans’ pain and agony will ease off as the Tigers are bracing themselves for a busy international calender. Bangladesh will play bilateral series against Australia, South Africa, India and Pakistan, all at home, this year. The supporters will hope that the Tigers will build on their World Cup performance and give the visiting teams a mighty good fight at their own den.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
