Bangladesh hopeful of Australia arriving as per schedule

But Bangladesh cricket officials are insistent that all will be well, and have named their squad for the first Test already.

According to Cricket AU, “Cricket Australia’s security entourage have with the upper echelons of Bangladesh’s National security” to decide on the future of the series.

Australia’s upcoming cricket tour to Bangladesh appeared increasingly likely to be abandoned on Tuesday amid warnings from Britain and the United States of security threats and concerns that militants were planning to target Australian interests.

Asked whether the Test group of was also in fact…

CA’s anti-corruption and security supervisor Sean Carroll and top security and intelligence officials met on Monday in Dhaka. “Following yesterday’s meetings, our head of security (Carroll), team manager (Gavin Dovey) and team security manager (Frank Dimasi) are on their way home from Bangladesh for further meetings with the Department of Foreign Affairs and to brief our board, management and players on the situation”, the CA spokeswoman said.

News agencies have also reported that an Italian charity worker was shot dead in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone on Monday evening, and both Reuters and AFP reported that an online statement in the name of Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack. The team was scheduled to leave for Bangladesh on Monday but the Qantas tour of Bangladesh was kept on hold following threat concerns released by the United Kingdom Government. “They still haven’t said no… we can only after take any steps after they respond”.

“We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts region because of the risk of violence and kidnapping”, said the DFAT security update.

Australia’s cricketers were meant to have travelled to Bangladesh on Sunday but were blocked from leaving by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“The Australian team which left here will present the security details back home and we should know their response within two days’ time”, said Hasan.

Asked whether the Test series was on or off, BCB president Nazmul Hassan, who attended the meeting, told reporters, “can’t say anything specific right now. We want to make sure we are not under-reacting, but also not over-reacting”. “This is very disappointing for us”.