Limited fan access in Mirpur Test as free tickets numbered

The ongoing Test between Bangladesh and South Africa is being held with minimum crowd attendance and heavy security.

Yesterday's commotion involving protests for and against Shakib Al Hasan has left its traces. Today, on Day 1, students were seen voicing their anger near the ticket counter close to gate 1. Students have in the past been allowed free entry into Test matches if they can produce a student ID card. That has not been availed this time around, according to the students.

Meanwhile, tickets which used to cost Tk 100 are not available and many claimed that double the regular price is being asked. Chaos ensued with verbal exchanges between security officials and fans.

When complaints were made to Army personnel deployed at the gates, they facilitated entry for the students in the Eastern gallery with tickets that were priced at 100 Tk.

Personnel at the booth could not confirm why despite the Eastern gallery being largely empty, tickets were not available. Sources close to ticketing services claimed that due to the present situation, free tickets were not made available.

A BCB official on conditions of anonymity, said that they have limited the number of free entries for students due to security concerns.

Large sections of the gallery remained mostly empty as Bangladesh were bowled out for 106 under two sessions today. The lower tier of every stand was empty except the Grand Stands.

It could be surmised that the protests that took place around the stadium yesterday, with some Shakib fans getting beaten up during protests, resulted in such restrictions being put in place today.