News

India's tour of Bangladesh delayed

The Indian squad's departure to Bangladesh has been delayed by at least one day after an unknown radical Islamic group issued death threats to the players

Cricinfo staff
05-Dec-2004


Increased security: police outside Dhaka's Bangabandhu National Stadium © AFP
The Indian squad's departure to Bangladesh has been delayed by at least one day after a radical Islamic group issued death threats to the players. The Indian cricket board received a letter from government agencies instructing them not to leave until at least December 8.
A five-man security team, including officials from the home ministry, foreign ministry and the cricket board, rushed to Dhaka on Monday to assess the situation. "The threat could be a hoax," KVS Katoch, an official of India's home ministry, explained to reporters.
The letter, from a hitherto unknown Islamic group, Harkat-ul-Jihad, threatened to kill players in revenge for riots in Gujarat three years ago. It was delivered to the Indian embassy in Dhaka last week.
A spokesman at the Bangladesh high commission said the threats were a hoax and the Bangladesh Cricket Board insisted the tour would go ahead. "The so-called Harkat-ul-Jihad does not exist in Bangladesh," explained Lutfuzzaman Babar, Bangladesh's minister for home affairs. "Someone has sent the letter to tarnish Bangladesh's image ... no-one should worry about the security of the Indian team."
Newspapers in Bangladesh were equally dismissive of the threat.
India are scheduled to play two Tests and three one-day internationals in Bangladesh. The first Test, at Dhaka, begins on December 9, although unless India leave on Tuesday it is unlikely that the game would start on time.