|| CF Correspondent ||

Bangladesh Cricket Board gave financial assistance of Taka 50 Lakh to 501 sportspersons who were badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country on Wednesday.

BCB president Nazmul Hasan handed over cheques for Tk 10000 each to State Minister for the Ministry of Youth & Sports Zahid Ahsan Russell as part of the board’s initiative to support sportspersons.

The cheques were distributed to sportsmen and women of 23 sports federations under the National Sports Council other than cricket.Secretary for the Ministry of Youth and Sports Mohammad Akhtar Hossain and BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury were also present during the cheque handing over ceremony, a BCB press release said.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russell MP handed over the monetary assistance to the representatives of federations yesterday at conference room of National Sports Council. President of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Nazmul Hasan Papon was also present as special guest while Youth and Sports Secretary Md Akhtar Hossain presided over the program.

Zahid thanks Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for extending helping hands for country’s athletes.

“I would like to thank Honorable Prime Minister for extending her helping hands for our athletes. Responding PM’s call, Nazmul Hasan Papon also steps forward to support athletes; I would also like to thank him for his noble work. We have already written a letter to Finance Ministry, so that we can continue our humanitarian activities and can help more athletes after Eid,” he said.

The BCB has already provided one-time monetary assistance to the country’s 91 first class cricketers. Each of the male and female cricketers received Tk. 30000 and Tk. 20000 respectively.

Apart from this, the BCB continued the full salary of the national contracted players and World Cup winning Under-19 team when most of the cricket boards around the world planned to reduce the salary of the players and officials.

The board also planned to hand over one time financial assistance to country’s 1600 male and female cricketers from first division, second division and third division before Eid.