Bangladesh is celebrating the 25th anniversary of gaining Test status in cricket. To mark this milestone, festivities began across the country last Saturday, with the celebrations reaching Mirpur yesterday. On this very day 25 years ago, Bangladesh was granted Test status. To commemorate the occasion, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) organized a special event attended by former cricketers, members of Bangladesh’s first Test team, and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmood Sajib Bhuiyan, among others. The day was celebrated with cake cutting and by honoring players from the debut Test match.
The living members of the squad that played Bangladesh’s inaugural Test match against India in November 2000 were honored with commemorative blazers and caps. Each of them received a crest and bouquet from Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmood Sajib Bhuiyan. All wore special black coats to mark the occasion.
The main celebration took place at the North Plaza of the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. The event began with a welcome speech from BCB President and Bangladesh’s first Test centurion, Aminul Islam Bulbul. During his speech, he made a significant announcement: he plans to establish ‘mini BCBs’ in four zones outside Dhaka—specifically in Rajshahi, Chattogram, Sylhet, and Khulna—to operate and oversee cricket activities in those districts and sub-districts.
The BCB President said:
“This is a special day, the birth anniversary of our cricket. I want to announce that we’ve identified four zones—Rajshahi, Chattogram, Sylhet, and Khulna—where we will set up branches of the cricket board. Each zone will have a Head of Cricket to oversee operations. We’re also planning to organize zonal Premier Leagues and develop coaching programs. A funding model is being created to make these regions self-sufficient, reducing dependency on Mirpur.”
In addition to the BCB announcement, Sports Adviser Asif Mahmood Sajib Bhuiyan also made a major declaration during his keynote speech. He said:
“The cricket board’s decision to create four ‘mini BCBs’ aligns with my long-standing goal to decentralize sports management. To support this initiative, the Ministry will install synthetic pitches at 100 school fields across the country in collaboration with the BCB, to enhance school-level cricket development.”
On June 26, 2000, at the ICC board meeting in London, Bangladesh was granted Test status as the 10th full member. The team played its first Test match on November 10, against India in Dhaka. Exactly 25 years have passed since Bangladesh earned Test status, and the BCB has tried to make the silver jubilee celebrations memorable.
As part of the celebration, the BCB also launched a Test cricket honors board at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, listing the names of every player who has represented Bangladesh in Tests since 2000. The board includes players from Akram Khan, Habibul Bashar Sumon, Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, and Shakib Al Hasan, to current cricketers like Nayeem Hasan and Nahid Rana. It also mentions their debut venues, Test cap numbers, and debut years. The honors board was officially inaugurated by Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmood Sajib Bhuiyan.
