Bangladesh national cricket team returned home Saturday (Mar 16) night, still being at traumatic state following a horrendous terrorist attack in a Mosque of Christchurch where they survived a close shave.
Around 10:40 p.m., the team reached at the Hazrat Shahzalal International Airport. State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russell, Bangladesh Cricket Boad president Nazmul Hassan Papon and other top BCB officials received them at the airport, local media reported.
The cricketers were in fact three to four minutes from being caught up in massacre as they were going to perform Jummah prayer in Al Noor Mosque, in which the terrorist fired openly, leaving several dead.
“We had had a sleepless night after the incident,” said team’s stand-in captain Mahmudullah in a jam-packed press conference at the airport. “We even couldn’t sleep before boarding the plane.”
“We are lucky to escape and can’t imagine what would have happened had we entered the Mosque just five minutes earlier.”
“Thanks BCB to bring back us to the country very quickly. We urge the countrymen to keep us in prayers.”
In the brutal shootout carried out at two different Mosques left at least 49 people dead and 47 other injured, prompting New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to term it a “terrorist attack” and one of the darkest days of the country.
In the wake of the situation, the series concluding third Test for which the Tigers were preparing was called off after the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reached in a consensus.
Watching the bloodshed in live, the players were such traumatic state that they were not ready to stay at a single moment in New Zealand. The BCB however managed to get them the first available flight to bring them back at home, much to the relief of the players and their family.
“They are still in traumatic state. It will take time to get out from this situation,” said BCB president Nazmul Hassan.
The NZC increased the security for Bangladesh team remarkably from the team hotel to the Airport to make sure they are not embarrassed any further.
Cricket however took backseat in what was already a disappointing tour for Bangladesh following their whitewash in three-match ODI series and innings-margin-defeat in first two Test.
“They will be out of the cricket for the time being. It’s important first to get out of the trauma,” Hassan added.
