Seminary doors close as stadium doors open

Madrassah to shut for five days when Fatullah hosts India-Bangladesh Test.

DHAKA: Bangladesh authorities have shut down an Islamic seminary next to a cricket stadium in Dhaka and forbidden provocative banners ahead of the Indian team’s upcoming tour of the country, officials said on Saturday.

Maulana Abdus Shakoor, head of the Rauzatun Saliheen Alim Madrassah, said he had received a letter from the authorities asking him to keep the madrassah closed during the one-off Test.

“This is the first time we have received a request from the government administration to keep the complex closed,” said Maulana Shakoor.

Test cricket will return to Fatullah Stadium after nine years, having hosted its only five-day match against Australia in 2006. The ground has so far hosted 10 ODIs, including five matches of the Asia Cup in 2014.

Bangladesh Cricket Board security chief Hussain Imam said the madrassa was told to shut “as part of additional security measures” for the Indian cricketers, who arrive in Dhaka on Monday to play the Test and three ODIs.

Maulana Shakoor said he was surprised by the diktat as classes in the seminary were held during the Asia Cup last year. “But this time we have been asked to declare a vacation for five days. I have got verbal permission only to keep 25 orphans in our dormitory on humanitarian grounds,” he said.

Bangladeshi madrassahs have been under the spotlight in recent months after two of their students were arrested over the slaughter of an atheist blogger.

Cricket board’s Imam said security steps were also being scaled up in view of the controversial World Cup match between the two teams in this year’s World Cup.

Bangladesh fans were left infuriated when several umpiring decisions went against the cricket minnows, dashing their hope to reach the semi-finals for the first time.

The then Bangladeshi president of the International Cricket Council Mustafa Kamal added fuel to the controversy by suggesting the umpires were biased in favour of heavyweights India.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2015.

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