A two-member Bangladesh shooting team on Wednesday received government approval (GO) to travel to India for the Asian Shooting Championships, scheduled to be held in New Delhi from February 2 to 14.
The clearance came at the eleventh hour following prolonged deliberations over Bangladesh’s participation, after the Interim Government had earlier declined to send the national cricket team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup due to security concerns. That decision eventually resulted in Bangladesh being replaced by Scotland in the 20-team tournament.
The country’s top rifle shooter Robiul Islam, who is set to compete in the 10m air rifle event on February 6, is expected to depart for India on January 31. Shooter-turned-coach Sharmin Akter is the other member of the contingent.
Youth and Sports Secretary Mahbub-Ul-Alam confirmed the development to The Daily Star. Asked about the decision to issue a GO for the shooting team while the cricket team’s tour was turned down on security grounds, he said the government was treating the two matters as separate cases.
“Only a shooter and a coach are travelling there. The competition venue is fully secured, and the involvement of general spectators is very limited. We have also been assured by the hosts that there is no security threat,” Mahbub told The Daily Star.
He also informed that Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul had spoken with Bangladesh Shooting Sport Federation general secretary Ferdows Ara Khanom before giving the green signal for issuing the government order.
Earlier in the day, National Sports Council (NSC) Director (Sports) Mohammad Aminul Ahsan said they were optimistic about receiving the GO, as all required documents had already been forwarded to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
“We are considering two things. First, shooting is an indoor sport with limited spectators, unlike cricket, which is played in large venues before large crowds, so there is minimal security concern. Second, we want to promote friendship through sports,” he said.
While Robiul, being an employee of the defence forces, only requires a GO to travel to India, Sharmin will need to apply for a visa.
The championships will mark Robiul’s first international appearance since the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. He has been training since January 4 under Sharmin’s guidance.
