Tag Archives: Sri Lanka

MNA International Desk: Leader of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party Mahinda Rajapaksa took his oath as the nation’s new prime minister on Sunday after his party secured a landslide victory in the recently concluded parliamentary election. Rajapaksa took oaths during a grand ceremony at Kelaniya Temple, a Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo in the presence of the diplomatic community and legislators from the ruling and opposition parties. Rajapaksa was sworn in as the prime minister of the country for the 4th time. Rajapaksa’s party won 145 seats in the Aug. 5 election which was held ...

MNA Sports Desk: Bangladesh National Cricket Team left Dhaka for Sri Lanka on Saturday to play a three-match ODI series against the hosts in Colombo. The Tigers departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 12:45pm. The first match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will take place on July 26 while the remaining ones will be played on July 28 and 31. In the absence of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who has been ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury just one day the before team’s departure, Tamim Iqbal will lead the Tigers in the series. “The series is ...

MNA Sports Desk: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza will tour Sri Lanka and lead the Tigers in the three-match ODI series against the island nation. However, the participation of Shakib Al Hasan in this series is still uncertain. Liton Das, the middle-order batsman, will miss the tour as he is on leave till August 5 for his marriage formalities. “We’re close to finalising the squad for the Sri Lanka series. Shakib is still uncertain. He asked for rest. We’re discussing it. Liton will miss the tour for his marriage,” Habibul Bashar, a member of Bangladesh selector committee, told the media on Friday ...

MNA Sports Desk: The toss of the World Cup match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at The County Ground in Bristol delayed due to rain. Rain ensured the covers remained on the pitch and square and prevented the toss taking place as scheduled at 3.30pm. Only 7.3 overs were possible in the match between West Indies and South Africa at Southampton on Monday. Sri Lanka’s match against Pakistan at Bristol on 7 June was abandoned without a ball being bowled. It is still not clear when the game can take to the field as the rain continues. UNB adds: The ...

MNA International Desk: Sri Lanka has imposed a nationwide curfew for the second night in a row after a wave of anti-Muslim violence in the wake of the Easter bombings. A Muslim man was stabbed to death while rioters torched Muslim-owned shops and vandalised mosques during Monday’s attacks. Police have arrested 60 people, including the leader of a far-right Buddhist group, reports BBC. The United Nations has called for calm and a “rejection of hate”. Tuesday’s curfew came into effect at 21:00 (15:30 GMT). Police said the North-Western province, where the worst violence flared, will be shut down for longer. ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Sri Lanka is temporarily blocking some social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, it said on Monday after attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned businesses in the worst unrest since Easter bombings by Islamist militants. Several dozen people threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores and a man was beaten in the Christian-majority town of Chilaw on the west coast on Sunday in a dispute that started on Facebook, sources said. Authorities said they arrested the author of a Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Hameed Mohamed Hasmar, whose online comment “1 day u will ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The death toll from the Easter Sunday suicide bombing attacks on churches and hotels in SriLanka rose to 359, police said on Wednesday without providing any further details. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera released the toll but did not give a breakdown of casualties from the three churches and four hotels hit by suicide bombers. The toll had been put at 321 on Tuesday, with about 500 people also wounded. The attacks were claimed on Tuesday by the Islamic State militant group, which said they were carried out by seven attackers but gave no evidence to support the ...

MNA International Desk: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has asked the police chief and defense secretary to quit following recent series of bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed 359 people. Two sources close to Sri Lankan president revealed the information on Wednesday. The sources declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter amid accusations within the government of intelligence failures ahead of the attacks. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has asked the police chief and defense secretary to quit following the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed 359 ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Terrorist outfit Islamic State has claimed responsibility for series of bombings in Sri Lanka that killed 321 people and injured about 500 others. According to Reuters, the terrorist group’s AMAQ news agency came up with the claim on Tuesday without giving any evidence. Separately, Sri Lanka’s defence minister, Ruwan Wijewardene said the attacks were a response to the recent mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. “The preliminary investigations have revealed that what happened in Sri Lanka was in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch,” Wijewardene told a special sitting of parliament, referring to the terrorist ...

MNA International Desk: Sri Lanka began a day of national mourning with three minutes of silence to honor more than 300 people killed in suicide bomb blasts. Flags were lowered to half mast on government buildings, and people bowed their heads and reflected silently on the violence that has caused international outrage. The silence began at 8:30 am (0300 GMT), the time that the first of six bombs detonated on Sunday morning, unleashing carnage at high-end hotels and churches packed with Easter worshippers. Shortly after the silence was observed, a police spokesman said the toll had risen to 310, with ...

MNA Sports Desk: The International Cricket Council has urged Sri Lanka’s scandal-ridden sporting community to come forward with information about corruption before an amnesty expires or risk expulsion from the game. Sri Lankan cricket has been mired in corruption allegations in recent years, including claims of match fixing ahead of an international Test against England last year, and the sport’s world governing body is in the middle of a major inquiry into the island nation. The ICC said it had received a “positive response” after granting a 15-day amnesty this month for players, coaches or anyone else linked to the ...

MNA National Desk: Five people have been arrested in Bangladesh over their suspected involvement in the biggest drug haul in Sri Lanka’s history. The suspects were detained in separate raids on Monday, said Rapid Action Battalion spokesperson Mohammad Mufti Mahmud Khan. The arrestees are Fatima Imam Tania, 26, Afsana Mimi, 23, Salma Sultana, 26, Sheikh Mohammad Badhon aka Parvez, 28 and Ruhul Amin aka Simon, 29. The elite police unit has recovered 1,970 yaba pills, foreign currency notes and passports from the five suspects. They have “confessed to being involved in an international drug racket” during preliminary questioning. On Dec ...

MNA Sports Desk: Captain Eoin Morgan smashed his second half-century in two games and Adil Rashid took four wickets to help England crush Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the rain-marred third one-day international on Wednesday. Chasing 151 in 21 overs after persistent rain had shortened the match, the visitors rode on Morgan’s unbeaten 58, including seven fours, to reach 153-3 with 15 balls to spare. Jason Roy (41) and Ben Stokes (35 not out) gave Morgan valuable support as England took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series after the opening game was washed out. Earlier, Adil Rashid produced ...

MNA Sports Desk: Afghanistan continued their rise in international cricket with an upset 91-run win over Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Monday, knocking the former champions out of the Asia Cup. Sri Lanka needed to win the Group B match to stay in the tournament but were outwitted by smart batting from Afghanistan who put up a fighting total of 249 all out at Sheikh Zayed Stadium. The fighters then laid into Sri Lankan batting with spinner Rashid Khan (2-26), Mohammad Nabi (2-30) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-32) sharing wickets as the five-time former winners were bowled out for ...

MNA Business Desk: The tariff-cut amendment of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) became effective Sunday, with China’s Ministry of Commerce saying it would facilitate regional economic integration in Asia, according to reports by Xinhua and Global Times. “The amendment will provide member countries new economic impetus, prompt continued trade increases, facilitate economic integration and help further materialise the Belt and Road Initiative,” the ministry said Sunday in an online statement. The six members of APTA – China, India, South Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Laos – will slash tariffs by an average of 33 per cent on 10,312 product categories. ...

MNA Sport Desk: The Tigers will start their Nidahas Trophy campaign on Thursday taking on India at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The T20I match of the tri-nation tournament, organised commemorating the 70th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence, will begin at 7:30pm Bangladesh time. Bangladesh Squad: Mahmudullah Riyad (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarker, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Haider Rony, Abu Jahed Rahi, Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Nazmul Islam Apu and Liton Kumar Das. India Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suresh ...

MNA Sports Desk: Kusal Perera hit a blazing half-century to power Sri Lanka to a five-wicket win over India in the opening Twenty20 international of the tri-nation tournament on Tuesday. Chasing 175 for victory, the hosts rode on Perera’s 37-ball 66 to achieve their target with nine balls to spare at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium. The left-handed Perera, who hit 6 fours and 4 sixes, overshadowed Indian opener Shikar Dhawan’s career-best 90 that saw the visitors post 174-5 after being put into bat first. Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar hurt Sri Lanka’s chase by picking up two wickets each ...

MNA Sports Desk: Bangladesh have won the toss and elected to bat first against Sri Lanka in first T20 international match in Mirpur on Thursday. Bangladesh are going to play the match with four debut players. Bangladesh Team: 1 Zakir Hassan, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Afif Hossain, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Sabbir Rahman, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Ariful Haque, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Nazmul Islam, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Rubel Hossain. Sri Lanka Team: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Danushka Gunathilaka, 5 Dinesh Chandimal (capt), 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Akila Dananjaya, ...

MNA Sports Desk: Mominul Haque became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a century in both the innings of a Test match on Sunday as the Tigers took a slender lead over Sri Lanka on the final day of the Chittagong Test. The Bangladesh number three has just made his second hundred of the game, this time the ton coming in 154 balls. The hosts are now on 237 for 3, taking a lead of 36. Liton Das is giving Mominul the perfect support with a well-taken fifty, he has contributed 67 to their 156-run partnership. Replying to Sri Lanka ...

MNA Sports Desk: Sri Lanka have taken the lead against Bangladesh in the first innings of the Test match in Chittagong. The visitors were 9 runs behind at the start of play on the fourth day on Saturday, but passed Bangladesh’s first innings total of 513 in the third over. Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy Hasan Miraz opened the attack for Bangladesh. Bangladesh posted 513/10 in 129.5 overs in the 1st innings, which ended in the second session on day 2, opening the innings with bat after winning the toss on Wednesday where Mominul Haque shared partnership of 236 off 56.1 ...

MNA Sports Desk: Sri Lanka handed Bangladesh one of their worst losses as a 10-wicket victory on Thursday sent the former world champions into the final of the tri-nation series. After bundling Bangladesh out for a sorry 82 in the last of the tri-nation series’ group matches at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, some fireworks from Upul Tharanga and Danushka Gunathilaka finished the chase in just 11.4 overs. Gunathilaka hit 40 off 36 balls while Tharanga made 34 in 36 balls to steer the team to the win. Winning the toss, Tigers skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza opted to bat first, but Suranga ...

MNA Sports Desk: Bangladesh recorded their biggest ODI win – a 163-run win- against Sri Lanka in the Tri-nation series yesterday in Mirpur. It was a wretched performance from Sri Lanka all around. In the face of a daunting Bangladesh total of 320 for 7, their batsmen lasted just 32.2 overs. And their bowlers hardly tested Bangladesh’s line-up. Each of Bangladesh’s batting core came good. Tamim Iqbal made 84 off 102 balls. Shakib struck an aggressive 67 at more than a run a ball. And Mushfiqur Rahim blasted 62. All of that meant Bangladesh managed good partnerships through their innings. ...

MNA Sports Desk: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has included practice matches for the tigers of the Bangladesh National Cricket team for the ensuing Tri-nations series. BCB on Tuesday announced the revised practice schedule for the tri-nation series and Sri Lanka’s tour of Bangladesh. The tri-nation series involves Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Some 32 players of the preliminary squad of Bangladesh team started their practice from the past week. After the tri-series, Bangladesh will host Sri Lanka for two Tests in Chittagong and Dhaka respectively. Fixture of Sri Lanka tour of Bangladesh: 1st Test: 31 January -4 February, Chittagong 2nd Test: ...

MNA Sports Desk: New Sri Lanka cricket coach Chandika Hathurusingha pledged to get tough with the under-performing national team-including banning music in training-while demanding “full control” over selection. With the 1996 World Cup winners coming to the end of their worst year in international cricket, Hathurusingha said he would impose strict discipline to make sure they are ready for the 2019 World Cup, reported news agency. Asked about reports that players were admonished for listening to music in practice, Hathurusingha said after his first training session with the team on Thursday: “If they are interested in music they will have ...

MNA Sports Desk: Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Friday announced the fixtures for the T20I tri-series which will feature Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh. The tournament will commence on March 8 and be played till March 20, next year. The tri-series begins just after India conclude their South Africa tour (January 5- February 24). The series, which will be called Nidahas Trophy 2018, will be played in celebration of Sri Lanka’s 70th year of independence and co-incidentally Sri Lanka Cricket’s 70th year as well. The announcement was made during a joint press conference attended by the heads of the participating ...

MNA Sports Desk: Babar Azam scored a second successive hundred while Shadab Khan gave his career best bowling and batting to help Pakistan thump Sri Lanka by 32 runs in the second day-night international in Abu Dhabi on Monday. One-drop batsman Babar knocked a fighting 133-ball 103 while Shadab scored a career best 52 not out to lift Pakistan from a struggling 79-5. That was before Shadab the bowler returned with his best figures of 3-47 to dismiss Sri Lanka for 187 all out in 48 overs. The 23-year-old Babar and Shadab, who turned 19 earlier this month, were engaged ...

MNA Sports Desk: Rangana Hearth completed his 400 wickets against Pakistan when he sent six Pakistani batsmen back to the pavilion, clinching the first Test in Abu Dhabi for Sri Lanka, reported news agency. Sri Lanka won the match by 21 runs, a strong comeback after being whitewashed at home by India. Pakistan were all out for 114. Hearth — who took 11 wickets in the match — also completed 400 Test wickets. He became the first left-arm spinner to achieve the feat and was announced as the man of the match. Pakistan batsmen struggled against spin, with Herath and ...