Three stadiums to get Tk 1.52b facelift before World Cup Cricket in 2011
FHM Humayan Kabir
The government will spend nearly Tk 1.52 billion on the renovation of country's three key stadiums before hosting the World Cup Cricket in 2011, officials said Monday.
The Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS), Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Mirpur and Fatullah Osmani Stadium in Narayanganj would get the facelift ahead of the grand cricket tournament, a youth and sports ministry official told the FE.
"We'll spend over Tk 1.52 billion on renovation of the three major stadiums to make those attractive to the cricket-lovers across the world. The renovated stadiums would also uphold the country's image globally," he said.
The official said they hoped Bangladesh would get huge return from the investments, as the new-look of the stadiums would attract more foreign tourists and cricket fans.
Bangladesh would co-host the World Cup Cricket (WCC) 2011 with India and Sri Lanka.
The inaugural ceremony of the WCC would be held at BNS in Dhaka on February 19 in 2011.
Bangladesh would be home to eight matches out of the 49 games of the world cup including the opening match and two quarterfinals, expected to take place at Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium and Fatullah Osmani Stadium.
The WCC matches will be spread out as India will host 29 games including one quarterfinal, one semifinal and the final, and Sri Lanka will be home to 12 games including one semi-final.
Director of the grounds and facilities department of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Shafiqur Rahman Munna said the galleries, press-boxes, score-boards and display screens, approach roads and other facilities of the stadiums would be made world-class.
UNB Adds: ECNEC has approved three stadium development projects worth Tk 1.52 billion (152 crore) to facilitate smooth holding of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in Bangladesh.
The development of the stadiums are among five development projects worth Tk 5.84 (584 crore) which was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council at its meeting at the NEC Tuesday.
Briefing reporters, Planning Minister AK Khandker said Tk 2.93 billion (293 crore) of the total project costs would be met from national exchequer while the rest Tk 291 crore would be spent from foreign aid.
Prime Minister and ECNEC chairperson Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting, attended by senior cabinet ministers and senior officials concerned.
The projects are maintenance and development of Bangabandhu National Stadium at a cost of Tk 310 million (31 crore) to prepare the venue for the World Cup inaugural session, maintenance and development of Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur at a cost of Tk 640 million (64 crore) to convert it as an ICC standard stadium and maintenance and development of Narayanganj Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium (Fatulla) at a cost of Tk 570 million (57 crore) to prepare it as an alternative venue of the World Cup Cricket.
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/08/26/77202.html