Almost 20 years ago, the Shaheed Ria Gop Stadium in Fatullah (formerly Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium) began its journey as an international venue. Now it lies in a dilapidated state. Neither the main field nor the outer grounds are fit for play. After visiting the venue, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam Bulbul said he felt like crying.
In 2006, the first international match was held at this ground. That same year, Bangladesh played a memorable Test match against Australia here. Fatullah also hosted the 2014 Asia Cup, the 2016 T20 World Cup, a Test match against India, and the semifinal of the Under-19 World Cup, among many other memorable matches.
But for the past several years, the stadium has been unfit for cricket. Since 2016, no international matches have been played there. Domestic cricket has also been absent for nearly two years. In fact, the stadium is in no condition to host games. As the field remained submerged under water for most of the year, sand was dumped to fill both the inner and outer grounds. As a result, parts of the gallery are now buried under sand too. This means not only the field but also the stands will need to be rebuilt.
However, the renovation work is progressing very slowly. No one can say when the work will be completed and when cricket will return to the ground.
On Sunday, Bulbul visited the Fatullah Stadium and reviewed the state of cricket in Narayanganj. Speaking about his visit, the BCB President said with sadness:
“I went to Fatullah Stadium. Seeing its miserable state brought tears to my eyes. At one time, countless national and international matches were held here. But today, the condition of this ground is truly heartbreaking.”
The BCB President further added:
“Cricket is just a small part of life. Before me today sit the future cricketers. I know there are many promising players here who will become the Tamims and Shakibs of tomorrow. My wish is to build an indoor stadium in Narayanganj. That way, the players can always remain engaged with the game.”
