There is no such militant threat in Bangladesh, he told reporters at secretariat a day after Australian board delayed its scheduled tour citing “security threat”.
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Cricket Australia has announced that it has postponed the tour of Bangladesh for two-match Test series due to security and safety concerns.
Latest travel advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade warns of “reliable information” that militants were planning to target Australian interests in Bangladesh.
The Australian team was because of fly out of Sydney on Monday morning for the three-week tour, which incorporates two check matches towards Bangladesh.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland.
Bangladesh Police say they have no credible information about the possible attacks and see no risks to Australian citizens now staying in the country. “This is obviously coming very suddenly and we have needed to make this response”, Sutherland added.
On Sunday, Sutherland said CA’s head of security was en route to Bangladesh and will provide an update in the next couple of days, but Sutherland doesn’t, at this stage, think the tour will be abandoned. We’ll have a much better understanding there.
Bangladesh meanwhile, haven’t played a Test against Australia since 2006, and are consequently desperate for the opportunity to host one of world cricket’s heavyweights.
“DFAT is aware of Cricket Australia’s decision to delay the departure of the Australian tour to Bangladesh”.
“We’re very much hoping that it will, but the circumstances at the moment mean that we’ve made the decision to defer our departure”.
Islam also said that it was “unclear” where exactly the security risk was.
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Australia were scheduled to play a practice game in Fatullah on October 3 followed by Tests in Chittagong and Mirpur starting on October 9 and October 17 respectively.
