By Qaiser Mohammad Ali
IANS
Chittagong : In what looks like an outrageous sales gimmick, some vendors near the Test match venue here were seen selling the Indian national flags distorted with the images of a bat, a ball and stumps superimposed on them.
The Indian flags, being sold along with the Bangladesh national flag, at the Bir Shrestha Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium where the first Test match is being played, were available in almost all sizes. But while the three colours – saffron, white and green – have been correctly used, some of the flags bear a bat, a ball and three stumps on the middle white strip.
Some other flags have less than the stipulated 24 spokes on the Ashok Chakra in the middle. These flags were also sold during cricket matches in India too, but not with the cricketing gear.
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From cricket to bus business
Former Bangladesh captain Akram Khan, who led Bangladesh when they won the ICC Trophy to qualify for the 1999 World Cup, has turned a businessman. He now runs a popular luxury bus service called Silkline between Dhaka and Chittagong.
"I started the bus service in 2000, but it was formally launched in 2003," Khan, who still plays in domestic tournaments, told IANS.
Khan, who had a good eye and was known to loft spinners over the top, played in Bangladesh's first Test match against India in Dhaka in 2000, and went on to play seven more Tests. The right-handed batsman also played in 44 One-Day Internationals and scored 976 runs since his debut in 1988. He retired in May 2003.
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Rains affect ticket sales
Rains have affected the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) income from ticket sales during the ongoing first Test match here.
No tickets were sold for the first day of the Test Friday as the organisers allowed ticket holders of Tuesday's washed out third One-day International to watch the opening day's action.
"We did not sell any tickets for the first day of the Test as we permitted the ticket holders of the ODI to watch the action free of cost," Salman Ispahani, head of the BCB tickets committee, told IANS.
More rains on the second day further affected the sales. With inclement weather forecast for the next few days, the match looks doomed from the perspective of everyone involved in the match, including the players.
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Bangladesh, a banana country
Banana is perhaps the most popular fruit in Bangladesh. People can be seen eating bananas everywhere. It is easily available at both small and big shops, and not necessarily those selling fruits.
It is a big business as bananas are grown in large quantities in this country, with Narshinghdi district near Dhaka being the hub.
"Banana is available throughout the year. It is mostly eaten for breakfast and students pack them in their tiffins to school. We also import bananas from Nepal, but the Bangladeshi variety tastes much better," said Noman Mohammad, who runs a cricket website.