Nationwide T20 Tournament to be Held in Arafat Rahman Koko's Memory

Sports Desk

Publish : 13 Sep 2026, 09:46 AM

Arafat Rahman Koko. Photo: Collected

A nationwide T20 cricket tournament will be organised in memory of late Arafat Rahman Koko, younger son of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and also the former chairman of Development Committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, to unearth cricketers from remote areas and provide them an opportunity to showcase their talent on a bigger stage.

The Arafat Rahman Koko Memorial Trust is planning to launch the tournament in mid-December, with teams from different districts taking part in the competition.

The tournament will be organised in 10 regional phases, covering the country's eight administrative divisions, with Faridpur and Cumilla treated as separate regions. The champions from each region will qualify for the final phase in Dhaka, where the semifinals and final will be held.

BCB director Sharforaj Ahmed, also the co-ordinator of the trust, disclosed the tournament plan at Mirpur today.

"There are many cricketers in remote areas of our country who do not get opportunities to play. Through this tournament, they will get a chance to participate in a good competition," Sharforaj said.

There will be no specific player-category restrictions for the tournament. Players from the national team, Premier League, first division and other levels will be eligible to participate based on their availability during the competition.

The organisers said the 10-region format was planned considering the balance in the number of districts and organisational convenience.

The tournament is not being organised under the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) jurisdiction, Sharforaj clarified.

"This will be entirely under the Arafat Rahman Koko Memorial Trust. The organiser is the Arafat Rahman Koko Memorial Trust," he said.

The coordinator said the trust had been organising cricket tournaments in memory of Koko in Bangladesh and abroad at different times over the past 12 years, although activities were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We are trying to bring the tournament under one umbrella and start the Arafat Rahman Koko T20 Cricket Tournament at the divisional level across Bangladesh," he said.

The venues have not yet been finalised. The organisers said grounds would be selected after considering availability during the proposed mid-December window. Details of the prize money and other arrangements will be announced later.

Arafat Rahman Koko, the youngest son of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia served as chairman of the BCB's Games Development Committee from 2002 to 2005.

During his tenure, several initiatives were taken to improve age-group cricket and the player-development structure. He was the first one to take the initiative of enriching BCB's players pipeline and unleashed players like Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad who shaped Bangladesh cricket for over the last two decades.

His contribution to building Bangladesh cricket's pipeline has also been recalled by the BCB in recent times.

Sharforaj said the main objective of the tournament was to take Koko's memory and contribution to cricket and sports to players across the country.

Follow google news channel to get RTV news Google News

Related More News

Indian Women Also Refuse to Receive Trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

India clinched the Women's Asia Cup title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final, but the aftermath mirrored past controversies.

Shanto Targets Next Test, not WTC Final

Despite having a realistic chance of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto refused to look that far as he focused on to keep up the good form in the next Test against Australia too. Bangladesh take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series following a nine-wicket victory in the first Test in Darwin today. They are now on the brink of a historic chance to sweep the series. However, the outcome of the first Test helped Bangladesh climb to fourth place in the WTC standings with a points percentage of 66.67. The win was Bangladesh's first Test victory on Australian soil and came after a 23-year wait for another Test in the country. Bangladesh bowled Australia out for 198 in the first innings before posting 426, with Tanzid Hasan Tamim scoring a century and Hasan Mahmud taking six wickets. Australia were dismissed for 284 in their second innings, leaving Bangladesh a target of 57, which they chased for the loss of one wicket. The victory lifted Bangladesh's points percentage from 58.33 to 66.67 and moved them into the top four of the WTC table. Shanto, however, said the team would not get carried away by the possibility of qualifying for the final. "If you look at the points table, there is definitely a chance. However, as a captain, I always say one thing in the dressing room: don't think too far ahead," Shanto said at the post-match press conference. "How can we play this series or this Test well, that is important. It was a very big win, the best win in the country's history. However, we are still not an average world team. The Test team is slowly moving towards a good place. There is an opportunity, and we have to use this opportunity." Bangladesh will now turn their attention to the second and final Test against Australia, beginning on August 22 at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. Australia remain top of the WTC standings with 77.78 percentage points from nine Tests, followed by South Africa on 75 and New Zealand on 72.22. India are fifth on 48.15, behind Bangladesh. Sri Lanka, England, Pakistan and West Indies occupy the next four positions.

History Beckons in Darwin: Bangladesh Dreams of Victory

Bangladesh is within striking distance of a historic victory in the Darwin Test. At the end of the third day, after securing a massive 228-run first-innings lead, the Tigers have reduced Australia to 161 for 4 in their second innings, leaving the hosts trailing Bangladesh by 67 runs. Dominating the match from the outset, Bangladesh first bowled Australia out for 198. In response, the Tigers posted 426 runs, powered by strong batting performances from Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Tanzid Hasan, thereby establishing a commanding first-innings lead. Bangladesh’s bowlers continued to put pressure on Australia in the second innings. After taking 6 wickets in the first innings, Hasan Mahmud claimed 2 more scalps, dismissing Jack Weatherald and Travis Head. Miraz and Taijul Islam picked up one wicket each. Cameron Green and Alex Carey are currently fighting it out for Australia, remaining unbeaten on 43 and 19 runs respectively at stumps. Earlier, Steve Smith was dismissed for 44 following a brilliant catch by Miraz. On the fourth day, Australia’s primary objective will be to erase Bangladesh's lead, while the Tigers will aim to quickly pick up the hosts' remaining six wickets and march towards victory. All in all, the fourth day in Darwin holds a strong prospect of becoming a memorable milestone in Bangladesh's cricket history.

Miraz Hits Fifty, Bangladesh's Lead Crosses 200

Bangladesh is in firm control of the Test match against Australia at the Marrara Oval in Darwin, powered by a half-century from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and a boundary from Taskin Ahmed that pushed Bangladesh's score past 400, while the team's lead also surpassed 200 runs. Playing the fifth ball of the 126th over towards vacant mid-on for a quick couple, Miraz brought up his 12th Test half-century. Starting the day on 32, the all-rounder reached his fifty off 117 deliveries, striking 4 boundaries. He became the third Bangladeshi batter to cross the fifty-run mark in the ongoing innings on Australian soil. His teammates applauded him from the dressing room to celebrate the milestone. Miraz has emerged as one of the architects of Bangladesh's dominance at the Marrara Oval. Earlier, he had played an innings of 109 runs in the warm-up match against the Cricket Australia XI. In contrast to that match—where Bangladesh was bundled out for just 54 runs in the second innings—the team is displaying a completely different scenario against a strong Australian side. On the first delivery of the 129th over, Taskin Ahmed edged a bouncer from Pat Cummins to find a boundary. That stroke pushed Bangladesh's total past 400 and extended the lead beyond 200 runs. Off the very next delivery, Steven Smith dropped Taskin in the same area. Had he taken the catch, the Australian star fielder could have claimed the record for the most catches in Test cricket entirely for himself. Earlier, Bangladesh started the day at 351 for 6. Hasan Mahmud and Taijul Islam returned to the pavilion within the first hour of the day's play. Subsequently, resilient batting partnerships by Miraz and Taskin helped Bangladesh recover and further solidify their position against Australia.

Bangladesh-Australia Test Series: Hosts Lose 4 Wickets Before Lunch

Bangladesh’s pace attack has made excellent use of the green pitch at Darwin's Marrara Stadium right from the start. Following disciplined new-ball bowling from Hasan Mahmud and Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain also made an immediate impact upon entering the attack, piling pressure on Australia's batting lineup. As a result, the hosts found themselves under pressure, losing four wickets before the lunch break. Australia's innings did not get off to a particularly poor start, however. Travis Head and Jake Weatherald initially attempted to weather the probing spell from the Bangladeshi bowlers. Yet, capitalizing on the live grass on the pitch and extra bounce and swing, the Bangladeshi pacers gradually wrested control of the match. Before the start of play, Australian opener Travis Head had described the wicket to Fox Cricket as quite firm and grassy. The truth in his words was evident from the very first over. Hasan Mahmud’s bowling troubled the batsmen with movement both inward and away, causing constant confusion. Taskin Ahmed also maintained tight lines from the outset. Though he conceded 5 runs in his opening over, he beat Travis Head with a delivery skimming past the pads. Commentator Adam Gilchrist praised his bounce, line, and length. In the following over, Hasan Mahmud similarly tested Weatherald with deliveries on a probing length. The pressure exerted by the Bangladeshi pace attack soon yielded results. In the span of just 40 balls—from 11.4 to 18.2 overs—Australia lost 3 quick wickets, adding only 16 runs to the scoreboard during this phase. Bowling with relentless discipline around the off-stump reaped rich rewards for the pacers. With Nahid Rana missing the series due to injury, questions had naturally been raised regarding his absence. However, the combined bowling effort of Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain, and Taskin Ahmed ensured that his absence was barely felt. Having delivered an early blow to the Australian batting lineup by exploiting the green conditions, both teams will now look to see how deeply this pressure impacts the remainder of the innings.