BCB head hopes England's visit goes ahead as scheduled

BCB president Nazmul Hassan hopes that Bangladesh's security situation will improve and that England's tour will go ahead as scheduled. Following Friday night's terrorist attack in Dhaka, the ECB had said it will follow the UK government's security advice regarding the tour, which is set to start on September 30.

Hassan said he expected the ECB to remain cautious, but cited the example of the Euro 2016 football tournament being held in France seven months after the Paris attacks.

"It is a very unfortunate incident for Bangladesh," Hassan said. "We never imagined such a thing could happen in this country. I don't know how to describe my feelings in words. I have seen England's reaction, which is quite normal. We would have done the same thing if we were in their position.

"[But] you would have noticed that after the Paris attacks, the game didn't stop. Sport will go at its pace. England are coming after three months, by which time the situation in Bangladesh will get better. It is hard to say which place is safe now. Safety can be an issue in England after three months. We will strengthen our security. If we can ensure that, cricket should not be a problem."

Last year, Australia had postponed their tour of Bangladesh based on their government's security advice. Earlier this year, Australia had pulled out of the Under-19 World Cup that was hosted by Bangladesh as well, for the same reasons.