Bangladesh stands still as World Cup opens

Bangladesh came to a virtual standstill on Saturday as thousands of fans enjoyed a carnival atmosphere inside and outside the Sher-e-Bangla stadium which hosts the country's World Cup opener against India.

Huge crowds, wearing national team shirts of green and red, had jammed the streets leading to the 25,000-seat stadium since Friday night, hoping for a repeat of their team's famous five-wicket win over India in the 2007 edition.

"(Captain) Shakib Al Hasan's team is better than the one in 2007," said Abdullah Al Mamum, who travelled for 10 hours from the western district of Kushtia to watch the opener.

"Besides, we are playing on home soil. So it's an easy guess who will win."

Mamum, who queued three days to grab a prized ticket for the match, reached the stadium early on Saturday morning to ensure he was the first to get in when the gates opened.

Cricket fever has gripped this South Asian nation, which is co-hosting the World Cup for the first time.

All businesses, private offices and schools have been either partly shut or completely closed since Thursday when the opening ceremony was held.

The tournament is the biggest sporting event the impoverished country of 146 million has hosted since it won indepencence four decades back.

Local television channels have stopped regular programming and switched to virtual round-the-clock discussions on cricket.

On Friday, at least 100,000 people -- some with young children -- visited Dhaka's western suburb of Mirpur just to soak up the atmosphere around the stadium.

"People have gone crazy. They were dancing late into the night, shouting Bangladesh and the names of the players," local police chief Kazi Wajidul Alam told AFP.

"It's a big national celebration. Young boys blew car horns and vuvuzelas, some took family photographs in front of the illuminations around the stadium."

Hamida Hossain, 45, who came from Old Dhaka to join the carnival, said: "I have never seen such a festive atmosphere before. People are singing and dancing as if we had achieved something special."

Groups of young motorcyclists sped past the stadium and along the brightly-lid roads, carrying national flags and photos of Shakib and other players.

"Bangladesh may not host a World Cup again. So it's time to celebrate. Besides we have one of the best teams in the tournament," said Sohel Ahsan, one of the bikers.

International Cricket Council spokesman Sami-ul Hasan said he was at the stadium till three o'clock in the morning and the entire area was still packed with people.

"I have never seen anything like this, anywhere in the world," Hasan told AFP.

India have won 20 of their 22 one-day matches against the Tigers, but local fans were confident that record will count for nothing in Saturday's day-night match.

The Tigers upset India by five wickets at the World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007, causing the 1983 champions and 2003 finalists to be knocked out in the first round.

Fans now expect Shakib's men to repeat the 2007 success on home turf, even as India gun for revenge and ensure a winning start to their campaign.

India and Bangladesh have been drawn with England, the West Indies, South Africa, Ireland and the Netherlands in group B, with the top four advancing to the quarter-finals.