Published on 12:00 AM, October 03, 2016

Mashrafe fan freed

Police say he entered the cricket ground out of curiosity

A Bangladesh security official (L) attempts to prevent a supporter who ran onto the field (C) from embracing Bangladesh cricketer Mashrafe Mortaza (R) during the third one day international(ODI) cricket match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan at The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on October 1, 2016. Photo: AFP

Police last night released the youth who had entered the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium ground during the third and final ODI between Bangladesh and Afghanistan on Saturday.

The youth, Mehedi Hasan, claimed himself to be a fan of Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, police said.

"We released Mehedi Hasan after taking an undertaking from him around 9:00pm," said Bhuiyan Mahbub Hasan, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Model Police Station.

Police sources said Mehedi gave the undertaking that he would never repeat what he did on Saturday.

Following repeated interrogation, police came to know that the youth entered the ground simply out of "curiosity", said police.

Three friends of Mehedi who had also gone to the stadium that day were quizzed as well.

Police were trying to figure out how Mehedi entered the ground and who was responsible for the security loophole.

Around the 30th over of the match, Mehedi hogged the spotlight when he ran onto the playing surface from the VVIP stands apparently to embrace Mortaza.

He was eventually whisked off the ground by the security personnel after big voluntary hug from the Bangladesh skipper.