Dhaka fetes its cricketing ‘tigers’

DHAKA - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina described the country’s cricket team, which scored back-to-back series victory against West Indies and Zimbabwe, as “tigers” and promised measures to promote the game.

Tiger is an allusion to the famed Royal Bengal tiger.

Felicitating them here Saturday, Hasina used another epitaph which is used for describing the country itself - she called the cricketers “golden boys”.

Bangladesh is described as “Sonar Bangla” (golden Bengal) in its national anthem written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Hasina invited the cricketers to her residence to congratulate them for their historic series win against West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Rising from the loss of some of their stars to the Indian Cricket League (ICL) last year, the cricketers trounced West Indies in two-Test and three- one-day series that was followed by their 4-1 one-day series victory in Zimbabwe.

Hasina announced a prize of Taka 300,000 ($4,300 approximately) for each winning cricketer.

Hasina garlanded the cricketers, saying: “The whole nation is proud of you. You are our golden boys.”

A “grand reception” would be given to them after the end of the mourning month of August, which marks the killing of the country’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members, The Daily Star said Sunday. Hasina is the daughter of Mujibur Rahman.

Stand-in Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan thanked the prime minister and presented a cricket bat signed by the team as well as the winning trophy.

“Just carry on the hard work with integrity. The government and the people will be with you,” United News of Bangladesh news agency quoted her as saying.

On the same day Minister for Youth and Sports Ahad Ali Sarker declared Tk50,000 ($700 approximately) reward for each player at a reception party accorded to them.