World Cup: Dhaka keeps vigil on cricket bookies

DHAKA - World Cup co-host Bangladesh has said it is keeping a vigil on international cricket bookies to ensure that they do not try to establish contacts with players and officials.

Travel papers of visitors are being closely checked to look for 25 bookies whose list has been supplied by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to the home ministry, state minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku said Wednesday.

The minister said that the BCB had provided the list along with their photographs and passport details received from the International Cricket Council.

“We are alert to them. Steps have been taken to bar the crime racket in reaching the captain, players or officials of any cricket teams. It is also been taken care of so that they cannot get any important information on any team, Tuku was quoted as saying by New Age newspaper Thursday.

Kamal Uddin Ahmed, joint secretary (political) of the home ministry, said they have asked the immigration authorities to examine the travel documents of all foreigners to find out whether any bookie has arrived.

The Daily Star quoted an unnamed source at the home ministry as saying that all the bookies are foreign nationals, but the official declined to give their details.

World Cup is being held from Feb 19 to April 2. It is being hosted by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.