Silver jubilee celebrations of Test status begins in Khulna
Hundreds of children, accompanied by their parents, took part in a variety of cricket-related and general activities throughout the day.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) began a week-long series of celebrations on Saturday to mark the 25th anniversary of the country achieving Test status. The opening event took place at Khulna District Stadium.
Hundreds of children, accompanied by their parents, took part in a variety of cricket-related and general activities throughout the day. The programme featured a six-a-side cricket tournament, a parents' awareness campaign, and a drawing competition, among other events.
Notable figures in attendance included BCB Vice-President Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, Additional Divisional Commissioner of Khulna Md Feroz Shah, Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Zulfikar Ali Haider, Khulna Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Saiful Islam, former women's national team captain Salma Khatun, former national team batter Tushar Imran, and BCB's Khulna divisional head coach Kazi Emdadul Bashar.
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"On the 26th of this month, we will mark 25 years since entering Test cricket. It's a significant day for us, as it represents a major milestone in our cricketing journey," said Fahim.
"To celebrate the occasion, we've undertaken several initiatives. We've organised children's cricket matches in divisional cities. In addition to cricket, there are other activities such as a parents' awareness campaign, drawing competitions, stump-hitting contests, and some fun events as well," he added.
Fahim also revealed that a special reception will be held on 26 June to honour the players who took part in Bangladesh's inaugural Test match.
"We will be hosting a reception for the members of our first-ever Test team on the 26th. It may well be the first time they've all come together in this way, and we're looking forward to hearing them share their experiences of that historic match.
"This is a symbolic celebration being held across the country. The key message is that Test cricket is incredibly important to us, and if we want to improve, we must place a strong emphasis on this format," he concluded.
Similar events will be held in other divisional cities: Rajshahi (22 June), Sylhet (23 June), Chattogram (24 June), Dhaka (25 June), and both Rangpur and Barishal (28 June). The reception for the inaugural Test players will take place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on 26 June.
