ICC concerned over violence in Bangladesh amid Women's T20 World Cup preparations

The ongoing violence in Bangladesh has alarmed the members and officials of the International Cricket Council (ICC), who are presently convened in Colombo for their annual meeting.

However, no decision has been made yet regarding the Women's Twenty20 World Cup, set to take place in Bangladesh later this year.

An ICC source in Colombo for the annual conference was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz, "We are closely monitoring the situation, but the event is still some time away. The situation appears to have improved over the last 24 hours."

Scheduled from October 3 to 20, the tournament will feature ten teams playing 23 matches over 18 days at two venues in Bangladesh: The Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka and the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet. However, with internet shutdowns in many parts of the country and many foreign students leaving, the concerns among ICC officials are understandable.

Although the issue was raised with the Bangladesh Cricket Board officials, it was not on the agenda of the influential Board meeting in Colombo.

Over 150 people have reportedly been killed following a recent court order regarding what is being described as 'politicized admission quotas for coveted government jobs.' This court order has led to student protests, resulting in curfews and violence.

The ICC unveiled the World Cup schedule in Dhaka in May at an event attended by, among others, the captains of the India and Bangladesh women's teams, Harmanpreet Kaur and Nigar Sultana respectively.