United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh are set to play a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan between November 6th and 11th, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed on Sunday. The ACB will host this series in the UAE.  The venue of this series is to be finalized, but the dates are confirmed, with the first match on November 6th and the other two matches on November 9th and 11th.  This series was a part of the ICC future tour program, and was scheduled in July- August this year. However, due to weather and venues issues, Afghanistan could not host Bangladesh.  This series will be a crucial opportunity for both teams to prepare for the ICC Champions Trophy, which will be played in Pakistan next year.  AfghanAtalan recently secured a historic 2-1 series victory over South Africa and are set to tour Zimbabwe in December for an all-format series against the home side.

The third day of the Kanpur Test between Bangladesh and India has been called off due to a wet outfield.  Despite no rain since morning on the third day, the outfield remains wet, making it impossible to resume play. Earlier, the second day was also called off without a single ball being bowled. The start of the match was also delayed due to rain and a wet outfield. Bangladesh media reporting from Kanpur said the decision not to resume the paly was surprising as there had not been any rain since morning. Less than half an hour of the announcement, the sun even emerged in Kanpur.  Bangladesh came to this match aiming to show some mettle in Test cricket against India. Before this series, Bangladesh beat Pakistan in Pakistan in a two-match series, which was also the first-ever Test series win of Bangladesh against Pakistan.  Before the Kanpur Test, Bangladesh took on India in Chennai, and they lost the match by 280 runs due to the failure of the batters, who tumbled for 149 runs in the first innings and then never recovered from that setback.  After the Test series, Bangladesh will take on India in a three-match T20 series.

Coming from 0-2 goals behind, Bangladesh reached final of the seven-nation South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Men's U-17 Championship'2024 eliminating Pakistan by 8-7 goals in the sudden death tie breaker at the Changlimithang Stadium in the Bhutanese capital Thimphu Saturday evening. Bangladesh will now play on Monday (Sept 30) at 6 pm against holders India, which eliminated Nepal by 4-2 goals in the first semifinal Saturday afternoon. In the day's 2nd semifinal, Pakistan clearly dominated the first half by 2-0 goals and maintained their supremacy till the 74th minute of the match. Shahab Ahmed put Pakistan ahead in the 32nd minute by a good header (1-0) while Abdul Rehman netted 2nd goal in the 62nd minute from a penalty (2-0). When the match was almost heading for Pakistan victory, Bangladesh brilliantly came back in the match scoring two goals in the last 15 minutes to force the match towards tie breaker. Substitute Mohammad Manik scored both the goals for Bangladesh-- in the 75th minute and injury time of 90+4 minute (2-2) to lead the match towards tie breaker. The match was again locked in 5-5, 6-6 and 7-7 goals in tie breaker, but Bangladesh custodian saved the 8th attempt of Pakistan to win the match. Bangladesh managed a semifinal berth as Group A runners up securing only one point from both the group matches playing 1-1 draw with Islanders Maldives after conceding 0-1 goal defeat against India in the injury time. Pakistan reached semi final as unbeaten group B champions securing seven points from three matches. Defending champions India reached the semifinal with an all-win record securing full six points and also carried Bangladesh to the semifinal at the cost of the Maldives.

President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) Ashraf Ahmed on Saturday said that the law and order situation must be restored and confidence returned to keep production lines running and exports flowing. He said this while speaking at a seminar on “Bi-annual economic state and future outlook of Bangladesh economy (January-June FY2023-24): private sector perspective” organized by DCCI on Saturday in the capital. Regarding the central bank’s current strategy of higher interest rates and tighter liquidity management, he suggested that the strategy should be reversed as soon as inflation comes under control. Ahmed expected the balance-of-payment issues to be resolved soon, with the expectation that the export level could be maintained. The trend of devaluation of taka will come down once the US dollar rate falls, which could help cut energy prices as well. “Energy supply is crucial to maintain the momentum of the growing export trend,” he pointed out. The DCCI president said the biggest challenges in running industries over the past six months have been the shortage of bank funds and the supply of gas and electricity, or more like their shortages. "We are still facing gas and electricity problems. If we cannot resolve the issues of labour unrest and energy shortages, and if we cannot run factories uninterruptedly, it will have a major impact on exports," Ashraf said. Dr Khan Ahmed Sayeed Murshid, Economist and Former Director General of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) said that everything happens so fast in this world and we have no alternative but to respond quickly. With economic challenges, a few non-economic challenges are also very crucial that need to be resolved soon. He underscored the importance of broad-based inclusive growth ensuring fundamental food security, power and energy security, security of education, and skill development. Dr. Mohammad Abu Eusuf, Professor, Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, said maintaining the macroeconomic stability is now more crucial for the sake of overall economic development. "We have to have actual realistic data of the number of populations, GDP size and other statistical components to research the actual scenario of the economy," Dr Eusuf said.  He termed three ‘Rs’ as the most important markers right now for the economy: RMG, remittances, and rice production. Dr Md. Salim Al Mamun, Director (Research), at the Chief Economist's Unit of Bangladesh Bank said that a holistic approach has been taken for the reforms in the financial sector. The growth in the service sector did not see much hike recently but it should be qualitative, he added.  

 The second day of the Kanpur Test between the hosts India was completely abandoned due to persistent showers that made prospects of the outfield drying  at any point extremely remote. Not a single over could be bowled.  On day one, only 35 five overs were possible before the rain cut the day short. The forecast is only slightly better for the next three days. Najmul Hossain Shanto, the Bangladesh captain, said it was disappointing from their point of view. Bangladesh came to this match to restore some pride as they lost the first match of the series by 280 runs.  Bangladesh are still looking for their first Test victory against India. Coming off a confidence-boosting 2-0 series win against Pakistan in Pakistan, which itself was unprecedented, many felt this was perhaps their best chance of catching India a bit cold. And through the first two sessions of the first Test in Chennai, when they had India hobbling at 144/6 in their first innings, the Tigers seemed to be coming good on the promise. But then a single partnership, between Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichander Ashwin, took the game completely away from them.  Of course the familiar failure of their batters to live up to a decent bowling and fielding effort contributed, as they tumbled for just 149 in their first innings. They could not recover from there and lost the match by a big margin.  After the Test series, the two teams will participate in a three-match T20I series.//  

Sri Lanka is just five wickets away from sealing a monumental series sweep against New Zealand after reducing the visitors to 119 for five in their second innings on Saturday. New Zealand, with a daunting 315 runs still needed to avoid an innings defeat, face an uphill battle. The match, poised to end inside three days, was only prolonged due to bad light, forcing umpires to call off play with 20 overs remaining. Day three was nothing short of manic, with the Kiwis losing 13 wickets, including a morning collapse of nine wickets. New Zealand’s first innings imploded for a mere 88 runs — its lowest-ever total against Sri Lanka — thanks to a six-wicket haul by left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. “It has been a fabulous Test match for us,” Jayasuriya said. "All credit to the batters. When they put on 600-plus runs on the board it is really tough when the opposition know the game has slipped away from them. “We need five more wickets and I am sure we will wrap things up quickly,” he added. "In the second innings, they changed their approach and attacked us. I like when the opposition play aggressively. You will end up conceding runs but then there is a big possibility of you picking up wickets as well. Having claimed nine wickets in the first test, Jayasuriya again proved unplayable on a deteriorating surface tailor-made for spinners. The Sri Lankan fielders were equally sharp, with captain Dhananjaya de Silva taking five excellent catches in the first innings. New Zealand’s attempt to stonewall Sri Lanka’s disciplined spin attack in the first innings backfired. But in the second innings, they opted for a more aggressive approach, which initially paid off. Kane Williamson and Devon Conway showcased resilience with a 97-run partnership for the second wicket. Conway’s 61 off 62 balls, comprising 10 boundaries and a six, ended with a stunning catch by Dinesh Chandimal, who sprinted back from extra cover to take the difficult chance. Williamson followed soon after, dismissed for 46, courtesy of another superb catch by Ramesh Mendis at long-on. An unbroken 78-run stand for the sixth wicket between Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips brought some stability to New Zealand’s second innings. Blundell, on 47 from 50 balls, and Phillips, unbeaten on 32 from 41, both found the boundary with two sixes each to avoid a repeat of the first innings disaster. Sri Lanka, completely dominating the match, piled on a colossal 602 runs in their first innings, with three centurions leading the charge. Kamindu Mendis’ unbeaten 182 was the standout performance, taking him to 1,000 test runs in record time — becoming the joint-third fastest alongside the legendary Don Bradman to achieve the milestone. “Very disappointed with the way we batted in the morning today,” Blundell said. "You cannot compete after losing nine wickets in a session. It was a bitter pill to swallow. I thought we were a bit tentative in the morning. But in the second innings, we tried to be positive. “We have a nice partnership going at the moment and tomorrow morning we need to come back and continue in the same way and put them under pressure,” he added. “Try and see if we can stretch this partnership for a long period of time. The key is to play one ball at a time. Then hopefully the remaining batters to come will put some partnerships too.” If Sri Lanka completes the win on Sunday, it would mark its biggest test victory, potentially surpassing their innings and 280-run thrashing of Ireland last year. The hosts, who won the first test by 63 runs, are now on the cusp of their first series victory over New Zealand in 15 years.

Day two of the second India-Bangladesh cricket test was abandoned without a ball bowled Saturday because of rain. Persistent rain at the Green Park stadium had again prevented play in the morning session and conditions did not improve thereafter as the entire ground stayed under covers. Lunch was taken as scheduled with Bangladesh unchanged at 107-3 in 35 overs in its first innings. All 35 overs were bowled on day one, which was also marred by rain. After lunch, there was too much standing water on the covers. On Friday, India had won the toss and opted to field for the first time in a home test since 2015. India won the first test in Chennai by 280 runs to lead the two-match series.

Argentina's soccer association (AFA) said on Friday that FIFA suspended goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for two matches of South American World Cup qualifying in October. The decision rules out the 32-year-old from official games in the round-robin competition against Venezuela and Bolivia on Oct. 10 and 15. AFA said in a statement that FIFA's disciplinary commission sanctioned Martínez due to incidents in two World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Colombia earlier this month. The soccer body did not describe which incidents led to the punishment. Martínez made an obscene gesture after his team's 3-0 win against Chile by holding the Copa America trophy close to his genitals, as he did after the South American team lifted the World Cup title in Qatar in the end of 2022. Later, he slapped a local cameraman after Argentina's 2-1 defeat against Colombia in Barranquilla. Argentina's soccer body said it “absolutely disagrees” with FIFA's decision. Argentina leads South American World Cup qualifying with 18 points after eight games, followed by Colombia (16) and Uruguay (15).

Bangladesh were eliminated from the five-team Group A of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers losing to upper ranked and hosts Vietnam by 1-4 goals in their 3rd group match at the Lach Tray Stadium in the Vietnamese city of Hai Phong Friday evening. With the day's feat, hosts Vietnam jointly dominated the Group A  with Syria securing full nine points from straight three group matches while Bangladesh remained at bottom to  eliminate from the meet bagging only one point from three outings. Hosts Vietnam, FIFA ranked 116th, dominated the first half of the day's match by 3-1 goals against FiFA ranked 186th Bangladesh. Forward Hoang Minh Tien struck twice and midfielder Le Van Quang Duyet netted the other goal Vietnam while Piash Nova netted the face saving goal for Bangladesh in the first half. Captain Nguyen Cong Phuang completed the Vietnamese tally scoring the lone goal in the 2nd half.   Hoang opened the Vietnam account in the very 4th minute of the match by a placing ground shot from goal mouth melee (1-0). Opportunist Hoang again doubled the Vietnam margin in the 29th minute by an intelligent shot from close utilizing shakiness of Bangladesh custodian Ismail Mahin (2-0). Piash Nova reduced the Bangladesh margin in the 41st minute by a good header from danger zone, off a left wing cross of his teammate (2-1). Just two minutes later, Le Van Quang Duyet further widen the Vietnamese margin in the 42nd minute by an spectacular shot from about 35 yards that kissed net hitting the cross bar (3-1). Captain cum medio Nguyen Cong Phuang sealed the fate of the match scoring the 4th goal for Vietnam in the 81st minute by a free kick from top of the box (4-1). Bangladesh goalkeeper Ismail Mahin was off coloured and nervous in the match to concede goal one after another. He was fully responsible for conceding the 2nd goal.   Hosts Vietnam earned a deserving victory in the day's match playing a good football. Earlier, Bangladesh team made a frustrating start in the meet after suffering a huge 0-4 goals defeat against FIFA ranked 92nd Arabian nation Syria in the first match. The misery of fresh SAFF U-20 champions Bangladesh was further consolidated as they drew 2-2 with FIFA ranked 204th Guam despite the dominated the match twice. Earlier, Bangladesh team was placed in five- team Group A of the U-20 Asian Cup with Syria, hosts Vietnam, Bhutan and Guam. In the remaining group match, Bangladesh will play Bhutan on Sunday (Sept 29). Ten Asian group champions along with five best group runners up will qualify for the next round of the AFC U-2O Asian Cup.  

Persistent rain led to an early conclusion of day one in the Kanpur Test between Bangladesh and India. Bangladesh, batting first, lost three wickets in 35 overs before play was suspended. Rain was forecasted, and it ultimately disrupted the game. India won the toss and opted to bowl first on the pitch with hints of grass. Bangladesh began cautiously but lost their first wicket when Akash Deep entered the attack. Zakir Hasan was the first to be dismissed, facing 24 deliveries without scoring. Deep later took another wicket, and Ravichandran Ashwin removed Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, who was looking good in the middle. Bangladesh came to this match after losing the first match by a big margin of 280 runs. Batting failure was the main reason behind Bangladesh’s defeat, as Najmul, Bangladesh’s captain, put it. Bangladesh fielded three spinners in this match. In the first match, the visitors had three pacers in their lineup.