A frightening experience on the streets of Dhaka

Travelling through the streets Dhaka can be frightening at times. An auto-rickshaw ride can give you a heart attack, even if you have been through the worst in Chennai or Kolkata.

Travelling through the streets Dhaka can be frightening at times. An auto-rickshaw ride can give you a heart attack, even if you have been through the worst in Chennai or Kolkata.

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What makes the Dhaka auto-rickshaws a nightmare is the grill-mesh that cages the passengers. With virtually no space inside to shift, and speeding buses coming dangerously close, it is one edge-of-the-seat experience.

But the three-wheelers, referred to as CNG here, are the fastest mode of transport through the congested streets, although, at times, they too are rendered slow by the omnipresent cycle-rickshaws plying haphazardly.

There is hardly a cab, which has not been badly dented. But that's the way it is here — either you endure the ride or rely on your legs.

The team hotel is no more than 7 km from the Sher-e Bangla National Stadium, the venue for the tri-series. But, even with a convoy of pilot cars, it takes around 45 minutes to reach the ground.

Some mediapersons, who took the CNG from the hotel much after the convoy had departed, reached the venue ahead of the team bus. Unsafe but fast, shall we say.

Academy gets a building

Finishing touches are being given to the interiors of the Bangladesh Cricket Academy's new building inside the Sher-e Bangla National Stadium. Equipped with residential facilities, a video analysis room, a conference room, the soon-to-be-inaugurated building will house the under-23 players.

Set up in 2007 to bridge the gap between the under-19 and the national team, the academy has produced quite a few first-class players. It is headed by Ruwan Kalpage, a former Sri Lanka Test player.

Ticket prices reduced

Looking at the mediocre crowd response on Thursday , the gallery ticket price was reduced from 300 taka (Rs 198) to 200 taka (Rs 132) for the finals.