Security fears resurface in Bangladesh as Australia team bus hit by stone
The Australian team bus was hit by a stone that broke a window as the side was returning to the hotel after the opening day of the second Test in Chittagong. Cricket Australia has assured their satisfaction with immediate security response taken by Bangladeshi authorities who are probing the matter.
- This is the first Test series that Australia are playing in Bangladesh since Ricky Ponting’s side visited there back in 2006. The Kangaroos were supposed to play two Tests in October 2015, but repetitive attacks by Islamist extremists in the Muslim-majority nation led to its cancellation.
Hence, their current tour is played amidst huge security fears with a lot at stake for the nation. And Monday’s incident, when a stone was thrown at the team bus that broke the window and fortunately didn’t hurt anyone, has reemerged safety concerns yet again.
Cricket Australia’s security manager, Sean Carroll, said in a statement, “En route back to the hotel last night a window on the Australian team bus was broken. No one was injured in the incident. Team security personnel are currently in discussion with local authorities while they investigate the cause, which is believed to have come from a small rock or stone.”
However, things haven’t been aggravated since with CA reassuring that they were satisfied with response from the Bangladesh authorities and increased security presence since the incident. Iqbal Bahar, the Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner has informed AFP that it could have been a pebble kicked up by a police escort van that might have led to the incident.
The road to the Australia team hotel is under repair and filled with pebbles and such a possibility is taken into consideration. He said, “Still, we have set up a three-member inquiry team and they are investigating it. he incident took place at 6:30 pm at Mansurabad neighborhood on the way to the hotel. We can assure that there is no problem with security.”
Bangladesh were dismissed for 305 in their first innings while Australia are trailing by 290 runs after losing an early wicket in Matt Renshaw.
