Mirpur: A bunch of happy-go youngsters wearing the Bangladesh team jersey were seen hanging around outside my hotel.
Though the match against India is scheduled to start from 7.30pm, they seem to have decided to enjoy right from morning wandering through the city to reach the stadium in time for the match.
They come from different parts of Bangladesh and hence stay in a hostel. "It is only studies and exams for us all the time. So whether Bangladesh loses or not we want to make some noise and enjoy," said one boy.
His friend said that he was fed up of studies and cracked a joke on exams and Twenty20 cricket: "We want exams to be like Twenty20... as short and quick as possible. There should be powerplay during exams with no supervisor for 15 minutes. And to make it exciting, there should be cheer girls in the class room and they should cheer for every correct answer."
Students from affluent families now fly to countries like Germany for higher studies. On my flight from Dubai to Dhaka, I was seated next to a student from Dhaka who was studying in Germany. He mentioned that were many Bangladeshis in his campus these days.
Another boy from the group was wearing a T-shirt that had an image of a batsman waving his bat and leaning onto the number 1 with the words Single Not Out.
The Bangladesh team jersey is a very colourful and well- designed outfit compared to the other teams.
It was designed by Shejan Lincon, a young Bangladeshi designer. The green colour on the jersey is suggestive of their flag and symbolises the lushness of Bangladesh's landscape, while the red is a representation of the sun of sovereignty that rises over the country.
The jersey also displays tiger paws that are meant to symbolise the aggressiveness that will motivate their cricketers to play well and win.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has ensured their team jersey is made from the best fabric as cricketers represent this country that holds the best reputation in exporting garments.
Before the start of every match, it is a routine that the national anthems of both teams are sung. Sami Ul Hassan, the ICC Media and Communications Manager requests everyone in the press box to stand up in respect of the national anthems.
The lyrics and tune for almost all the participating nations are extremely patriotic. The Australian national anthem goes like this: "Australians all let us rejoice. For we are young and free. We've golden soil and wealth for toil. Our home is girt by sea..."
Meanwhile, with close to three lakh people gathering at the National Parade Ground in Dhaka for Bangladesh's 44th Independence Day celebrations on Wednesday to sing their national anthem, the government is awaiting for an official confirmation as to whether they had entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest turn out to sing the national anthem.
Their national anthem 'Amar Sonar Bangla, Ami Tomay Bhalobasi (My Bengal of gold, I love you)' could be heard everywhere throughout the day.
