ICC Shifts Women's T20 World Cup 2024 To UAE From Bangladesh Fearing Security Situation Amid Student Protests

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to shift the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup 2024 from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is the second time UAE will host the T20 World Cup after the men's tournament was played here in 2021.

The decision has been taken considering the security situation in Bangladesh, which is witnessing nationwide protests from students.

“It is a shame not to be hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh as we know the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would have staged a memorable event.

“I would like to thank the team at the BCB for exploring all avenues to try and enable the event to be hosted in Bangladesh, but travel advisories from the governments of a number of the participating teams meant that wasn’t feasible.

"However, they will retain hosting rights. We look forward to taking an ICC global event to Bangladesh in the near future," ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement.

Turmoil & unrest in Bangladesh

On August 5, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 76, stepped down and sought refuge in India amid widespread protests led by students and other groups against her administration's controversial quota system for government jobs.

The country has been engulfed in violence following the collapse of Hasina's Awami League government, with the death toll now surpassing 600, including over 230 casualties in recent clashes alone. The protests, which began in mid-July, have only intensified, reflecting deep public dissatisfaction.

In the wake of Hasina's resignation, an interim government was swiftly established, with 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus appointed as the Chief Adviser to steer the country through this period of crisis.