We would like to commend the Zimbabwean national cricket team for visiting and touring with us, playing three one-day internationals and two T20 matches. It was a fine week of cricket that was just what the doctor ordered.
In fact, it is not only the Zimbabwe national team that is here in Bangladesh, the under-19 cricket team and the national women’s cricket team are also on tour here. It is a bold statement of confidence in Bangladesh, and we appreciate the vote of confidence.
We would also like to applaud the authorities for organising a smooth and well-managed tour. It, without question, inspires confidence in Bangladesh’s security issues, which have of late been under the magnifying glass due to recent events, and has provided a much needed shot in the arm for the entire country.
In fact, Bangladesh has been host to various successful festivals recently, with the Bengali Folk Festival the most recent, boasting a crowd of close to 50,000 people on Saturday night.
It is a matter of great satisfaction for the nation that artists from all around the world, such as the ones we saw in the Jazz and Blues Festival the week before, are performing in front of us and helping to put Dhaka on the map.
In the coming weeks, we will also see the Bengali Classical Music Festival at the Army Stadium and the Dhaka Lit Fest at the Bangla Academy.
We hope that our visitors, current and future, all leave with an appreciation for the cultural richness and welcoming nature of the Bangladeshi people, and are proud to play host to them and show them the best of what this country has to offer.
We are similarly pleased to note that the Australian national football team, who are slated to play a World Cup qualifier match here on Tuesday, have not changed their minds regarding the visit, and that the match is very much on the cards.
Our ambitions as a safe, stable, middle-income nation will only be fulfilled when the world takes note of our continued development and continued engagement with the rest of the world, and these events and festivals attest to the fact that we are well on our way.