::: Star Weekend Magazine :::

Perspective

Before the Big Day

The 2011 Cricket World Cup is less than two months away and it is time to take a look at everything the country has to offer to the cricketers and the fans coming from across the world

MOHAMMAD ISAM

The Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in Chittagong. Photo: Anisur Rahman

Bangladesh will host eight matches of the tournament including two quarterfinals. India, Ireland, West Indies, England, the Netherlands and South Africa will play their Group B games against the Tigers in Dhaka and Chittagong, while all fourteen teams are set to send representatives for the February 17 opening ceremony at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

It can be expected that fans from all the countries that will play against Bangladesh will make their way to the country in the second week of February for the opening ceremony as well as a large contingent from across the border for the India game. Though the Caribbean is far flung, fans could be on their way to Dhaka if they do make the trip to the sub-continent.

A large group will also come in the form of the Barmy Army, already in Australia for the Ashes supporting their beloved England. In the same breath could be the green brigade, the Irish supporters, who are also likely to travel to watch their team play against Bangladesh, a crucial game for both sides. Fans from South Africa are also famous for travelling across the world to follow their team so it is safe to say, the country's two largest cities will be the centre of cricket during February and March next year.

For these travellers, hotels, security and health will be of prime importance and it would be crucial for the local organisers to provide such amenities.

Lake Shore Hotel in Gulshan 2, Radisson Water Garden Hotel on Airport Road, Westin and Sarina are some of the better hotels alongside the usual Pan Pacific Sonargaon and Sheraton Hotel, though there is just one good hotel in the Mirpur area. The Grand Prince Hotel is located in Mirpur 1 near the Grameen Bank and a 15-minute walk from the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

The stadium area is quite accessible but the local organisers must make sure they have proper signs near the ground itself to let the fans know how to reach for their particular gates. A mad rush is expected for every game and in those cases, the security must be tight as well as flexible, especially for those holding the tickets.

Whether these fans stay in the luxurious hotels or the smaller ones, it is doubtful that Dhaka has enough hotel rooms to house so many fans.

Training for the big day. Photo: Anisur Rahman

The city too isn't famous for its safety issues but during the World Cup, extra precautions will be taken for both the players and the fans, especially during match days. Last month, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Benazir Ahmed said that special security measures were being taken for crowd management during the upcoming cricket World Cup. "We have security equipments worth Tk 8.1 billion for the purpose," he said.

Meanwhile, the opposition party has apparently said they would call hartals during the World Cup, but that could be treated as an empty threat as cricket has often united the nation.

Apart from the matches, the fans would also tend to visit the different tourist spots around the capital, as well as the shopping malls and restaurants.

The lack of hotels and security are the major problems but the other more important obstacle to a hiccup-free World Cup is Dhaka's traffic jams. Whether the DMP will take special measures is not confirmed but on match days, it can become a huge problem given the amount of security the local and visiting teams are supposed to get. The city's police unit could copy what they did in New Delhi earlier this year where they freed up one lane for the Commonwealth Games vehicles but this probably won't be a wise idea given Dhaka's small number of roads but an attempt towards this won't hurt.

The roads out of Dhaka, in this case, towards Chittagong have also become a pain in the neck for those who take the bus. Although the buses are luxurious, the highway has deteriorated to the degree that the usual 6-hour ride now goes up to 8-10 hours.

Once you reach the port city, there are small pockets of traffic around the town but not the painstaking ones you find in Dhaka. But the real problem for any traveller to Chittagong would be to reach the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. It is situated in one corner of the city, far from the centre and in a desolate area, famous for the annual cattle market. In fact, the street leading up to the stadium is the biggest cattle market in Chittagong.

From any of the hotels in GEC roundabout or even from Hotel Agrabad, it takes around 35-40 minutes to reach the stadium area, in Sagarika, on a good day. So one can easily assume that it would take an hour to reach the ground during match days. The local authorities have given assurance that there will be more roads that will be opened up towards the stadium (as many as four). In addition, a 12-feet walkway will also be put up in front of the stadium, which will go through the routine beautification around it.

It is estimated that more than a thousand English fans (Barmy Army) will turn up for the England-Bangladesh match and though there are enough hotel rooms in Chittagong, during World Cups these assumptions are hardly ever accurate. According to the locals, there are twenty hotels in Chittagong that can house up to 4,000 people and it could get stretched in mid-March.

The World Cup could be the biggest logistical test for the country and the perfect way to showcase the country's culture and hospitable nature. Although the stadiums are not in perfect condition yet, hope remains that they will be completed on time.