As uncertainty shrouds the country in the wake of the horrific July 1 Gulshan terrorist attack, Bangladesh's limited-overs skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza on Wednesday sounded out a hopeful note about England's scheduled tour of Bangladesh in October.

Doubts born out of England's security fears have been cast over the tour in the aftermath of the attack which targeted foreigners, but Mashrafe was hopeful that the tour would go ahead as planned.

"I am hopeful that the tour will happen," he said during the first day of the national training camp at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. "The players and the fans have been looking forward to the tour as there has not been any international cricket for quite some time [since the end of the World T20 in early April] and I believe that the authorities will be able to provide sufficient security for the tour."

Similar to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, Mashrafe cited the recent hosting of the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year in Bangladesh as a positive sign.

"The England Under-19 team came to play in the Under-19 World Cup," Mashrafe said. "The tour is still a long way away, so I think it will be fine by then."

England are scheduled to land in Bangladesh on September 30 for a three-ODI and two-Test series through October.