Bangabandhu National Stadium
| File:Bongabandhu Stadium.jpg Bangabandhu National Stadium | |
| Ground information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Motijheel, Dhaka |
| Establishment | 1954 |
| Capacity | 45,000 [1] |
| Owner | Dhaka Division |
| Operator | Bangladesh, Dhaka Abahani, Dhaka Mohammedan |
| Tenants | Bangladesh national football team Brothers Union (Football) Mohammedan SC (Football) Dhaka Abahani (Football) |
| End names | |
| Pavilion End Paltan End | |
| International information | |
| First Test | 1 January – 4 January 1955: Pakistan v  India |
| Last Test | 14 January – 18 January 2005: Bangladesh v  Zimbabwe |
| First ODI | 27 October 1988: Pakistan v  Sri Lanka |
| Last ODI | 31 January 2005: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe |
| As of 30 June 2009 Source: Bangabandhu National Stadium, Cricinfo | |
Bangabandhu National Stadium, (Bengali: বঙ্গবন্ধু জাতীয় স্টেডিয়াম) also known as Dhaka Stadium, and formerly known as Dacca Stadium is the national stadium and a multipurpose sports arena in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located in the Motijheel area in the heart of the city. Its current name was given to honour Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation, also known as "Banga bandhu" or "Friend of Bengal".
History
The Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka is the only venue in the world to have hosted an inaugural home fixture for two Test nations. India were the visitors on both occasions: in 1954–55, when Dacca was the capital of East Pakistan, and 46 years later, when Bangladesh became the tenth nation to attain Test status. With a purpose-built cricket stadium being constructed on the outskirts of the city, the ground was taken out of commission at the end of the 2004–05 season, and handed over for the sole use of the Bangladesh national football team.
Current use
Currently, the stadium is used for football and athletics. Total seating capacity is about 36,000. It was also home to the Bangladeshi cricket team until 1 March 2005. On the 6th of September, 2011 Bangabandhu National Stadium hosted a historical match between Argentina and Nigeria, a milestone for football in the country. The stadium is located next to National Hockey Stadium. Bangladesh registered its first win at home at Bangabandhu National Stadium against India on 26 December 2004. The stadium was used for competitions of the 2010 South Asian Games, including football and athletics.
ICC Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony, 2011
Bangbandhu National Stadium successfully hosted a colorful opening ceremony on 17 February 2011 of the 2011 Cricket World Cup co-hosted by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. The stadium was exclusively modernized and renovated into a world class stadium to host the grand opening ceremony. The capacity of the stadium has been increased to 36,000, a large LED screen has been installed, a modern roof has also been attached over the press box. The entrances and VIP box have also been upgraded to host the grand gala inaugural ceremony. The press box, along with a refreshment stand and the VIP box have been revamped. The stadium now has state of the art facilities suitable for international sporting events. The stadium has made its mark in the sporting world by successfully hosting notable inaugural ceremonies.
Images
See also
- List of Test cricket grounds
- List of association football stadiums by country
- List of stadiums in Asia
- Stadiums in Bangladesh