BCB postpones Bangladesh Premier League due to COVID-19

As Bangladesh grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has postponed the 2020-21 season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).This statement comes as Bangladesh reported 1,193 new COVID-19 cases and 24 new deaths, bringing the tally to 378,266 and death toll at 5,524, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that the board's main issue is hosting overseas players and broadcast personnel in an environment that is currently deemed dangerous.

"We are looking at next year, but we also don't want to give up on any tournaments. With BPL comes the need for foreign players and production people [to travel to Bangladesh]. I don't know if we can handle so many people in a tournament as large as the BPL," Hassan said.

He added that the apex body of cricket in Bangladesh has proposed that they finish the remainder of the 2019-20 Dhaka Premier League (DPL) later in the year. Further citing bio-bubble as a problem, Hassan said,

"Our main problem is to create a perfect bio-bubble, but it will be tough on the clubs to ensure this. They are unlikely to put them up in expensive hotels. BKSP (the sports institute based outside Dhaka) is a very good option but we must find out if they have space for so many players. They have three proper grounds and we usually need three grounds to hold the DPL. If we can do this three-team one-day series and the T20 tournament next month, I don't want to delay the DPL." 

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Bangladesh: 'Will only accept WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine'

Meanwhile, with surge in COVID cases, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam while briefing media post the cabinet meeting said that Bangladesh will only accept the WHO (World Health Organisation) approved Coronavirus vaccine. Further speaking about Bangladesh hoping to get COVID-19 vaccine on priority he said that Bangladesh is eligible for the same under the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI) whose meeting was addressed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He added that multiple pharmaceutical companies are in discussions with different vaccine producers for commercial production of the vaccine. 

In wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, Bangladesh's Education Minister Dipu Moni on October 7 announced that no exams including Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and other equivalent exams will be held this year. The HSC results will be calculated on the basis of average results of the earlier exams like JSC and SSC, she added. As the COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the country, Bangladesh announced that all the educational institutions will continue to remain closed till October 31. 

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(With Inputs from ANI)