SPORTS REPORTER

With smoke rising from fires near the Crown Imperial Hotel in Kathmandu, and protesters frequently flocking to the hotel in search of political leaders, each footballer of the Bangladesh national football team spent anxious moments at the hotel yesterday.

The men in red and green are eagerly counting every minute to return home from Nepal, which has turned into a battlefield following Gen Z protests against corruption and the government’s social media ban.

The unrest also saw Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli step down, as protesters set fire to the parliament building, a luxury hotel in Naxal, and many houses of parliamentary members and ministers.

The chaos forced Bangladesh to cancel Monday’s scheduled training, and the All Nepal Football Federation suspended Tuesday’s second and final FIFA friendly match between Bangladesh and Nepal. The team had planned to fly home yesterday afternoon, but a lack of security en route to the airport forced them to remain at the hotel, with no confirmed return time.

“The fear gripped all of us at the hotel when we saw dark smoke rising from what was probably a political leader’s house nearby,” national forward Suman Reza told The Daily Star over phone.

“We were also anxious because of a gas pipeline beside the fire. We all came down to the lobby to be ready to evacuate if needed.”

The players became even more nervous after watching a video of the Hilton Hotel being set on fire.

“While waiting in the lobby, protesters entered the hotel searching for political figures and threw stones. With no police or army around, the hotel staff told them only Bangladeshi and Nepalese footballers were staying here. The protesters calmed down and left,” Suman said.

“The situation in Nepal is not good. Protesters are vandalising, setting fires, and looting -- it reminds us of what happened in Bangladesh on August 5 last year,” he added, assuring his family they were safe.

“Now we are more or less safe, but we don’t know exactly when we can return home. The federation and embassy are monitoring the situation closely,” Suman further said, as the Bangladesh Football Federation strive to make arrangements to bring back the booters safely.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s interim government issued clear directives for citizens stranded in Nepal. According to a post on the Chief Adviser’s Facebook page, all Bangladeshis in Nepal are strongly advised to stay at their hotels or residences and not move outside, further informing that in addition to the 36-member football squad, a 51-member delegation from the Defence Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur, also remains in Kathmandu.