International cricket matches are going to be held in Rajshahi city within the near future after a long 13-year gap.
In the matches scheduled to be held from May 11 onwards, the hosts Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team will face their Pakistani counterparts at Shaheed AHM Kamruzzaman Divisional Stadium.
Arefin Islam, Rajshahi venue manager of Bangladesh Cricket Board, said three one-day international matches between the two teams will be held on May 11, 13, and 15, and the only Twenty20 match on May 17.
He also said all sorts of necessary preparations centering the series, also comprising a solitary Test, were already completed.
The Pakistan U-19 team will come directly to Dhaka before traveling to Chittagong.
The one-off Test and first two ODI matches of the tour will be played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.
Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Rajshahi has been selected as the venue for the remaining three ODI games and the sole T20.
Khaled Mashud Pilot, the former captain of Bangladesh cricket team, said international cricket has not taken place in Rajshahi for many years.
At least a new chapter will begin when the U-18, U-19 games are played.
It will be very good for Rajshahi cricket and Rajshahi players will once again be promoted in the international arena.
Pilot said the Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium is one of the biggest cricket venues in the country's northwest region but has been neglected for long.
National and international cricket stars have played here for various teams and clubs, but there has been no international cricket competition for many years.
Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium was built in 2004 with a capacity of 15,000.
The stadium hosted three group stage matches of the 2004 U-19 World Cup and lastly four matches of the 2010 South Asian Games.
After that, international matches were stopped due to lack of three-star and five-star hotels in Rajshahi.
It also lost the status of Test venue.
Currently, due to the development of the housing system, international cricket is going to be played at the divisional stadium named after AHM Kamruzzaman, one of the four national leaders.