India to tour Bangladesh for three ODIs, two Tests in December
Dhaka (PTI): India will tour Bangladesh for the first time since 2015 for three ODIs and two Tests beginning December 4, the country's cricket board (BCB) announced here on Thursday.
Dhaka's Mirpur Stadium will host all the three ODIs on December 4, 7 and 10 and the series will then move to Chattogram for the first Test from December 14 to 18. The teams will be back in Dhaka for the second and final Test from December 22 to 26, Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan said in a statement.
"The Bangladesh-India matches in recent history have given us some epic contests and fans from both countries are eagerly waiting for another memorable series," Hassan said.
"I thank the Board of Control for Cricket in India for working closely with the BCB in confirming the schedule. We look forward to welcoming the Indian team to Bangladesh, he added.
The two-match series will have crucial World Test Championship points at stake. Last edition's runners-up India are currently placed fourth in the standings.
A four-Test series against Australia at home in February-March 2023 will be their final assignment in the 2021-23 cycle. India lost the ODI series 1-2, while the one-off Test was a drawn affair in their last multi-format tour of Bangladesh in 2015.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah stressed on the series' importance.
"The India-Bangladesh contests generate tremendous interest among the fans thanks to the massive fan following the two teams enjoy. We know how passionate the fans in Bangladesh are and I am sure they will be treated to some exhilarating contests both in white-ball and red-ball cricket.
"With the crucial World Test Championship points at stake, the two Test matches are very important and both teams will go hard for the win, said Shah.
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Catholic Bishops' body slams Bhagwat's remarks
New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Thursday slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that Pranab Mukherjee, when he was President, had said tribals would turn "anti-national" if there is no "ghar wapsi"Catholic Bishops.'
In a statement issued here, CBCI, a body of Catholic Bishops, referred to reports which said Bhagwat, at an event on Monday, claimed that Mukherjee, while he was President had appreciated ghar wapsi and told him that had it not been for the Sangh's work on reconversion, a section of Adivasis would have turned "anti-national".The CBCI called the report "shocking".
"Fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India and its posthumous publication with the vested interest of an organization with questionable credibility raises a grave issue of national importance," the CBCI claimed.
"Is it not the violent ghar wapsi program of VHP and other similar organizations, curtailing the exercise of freedom of conscience of economically deprived tribals, the real anti-national activity?" it asked.
'Ghar wapsi' is a term used by the RSS and affiliated organisations to refer to reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, based on the belief that they were originally Hindus before converting to other religions.
The CBCI also questioned why Bhagwat did not speak about it while Mukherjee was alive.
"We, the 2.3 percent of Indian citizens who are Christians feel extremely hurt by such manipulated and motivated propaganda unleashed," it said.
In a post on X following the statement issued by CBCI, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Speak up. This is a start!"
"Bishops body have issued a statement condemning remarks made by Dr Mohan Bhagwat and RSS for defaming the Christian community," he said.
O'Brien added that they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi more questions, including why Christmas Day has been turned into "Good Governance Day".
The TMC leader, in a blogpost earlier this month, had said "hard questions" must be asked to the government with regards to the Christian community, including why the FCRA has been 'weaponised', and why has Manipur been 'ignored'.
