Reports | BCB shifts venue of Bangladesh’s third ODI versus India from Dhaka to Chittagong due to protest threat

India will arrive in Bangladesh next week for their first tour since 2015, beginning with a three-match ODI series starting December 4. All three matches were originally scheduled to be played in Dhaka but the third match of the series on December 10 has now been shifted to the coastal city of Chittagong, as per AFP. The decision was taken to avoid a rally by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which, in all likelihood, will bring hundreds of thousands to the streets of Dhaka.

“Chittagong was originally scheduled to host one Test. We felt there should be an ODI at the venue too,” Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) operations chief Jalal Yunus told AFP on Wednesday. 

However, Jalal refused to speak on the cause behind the late venue change. The report further mentioned a newspaper named New Age which said the BCB had taken the decision to avoid the rally, quoting an unnamed BCB official.

The BNP has staged several huge demonstrations around the country since last month focused around forcing the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.

After the third ODI, Bangladesh will host India for two Tests, in Chittagong from December 14, and then in Dhaka from December 22.