Bangladesh’s cricket board has moved an ODI against India next month from Dhaka after the country’s opposition announced plans for a protest that could paralyse the capital the same day.

India arrive in Bangladesh next week for their first tour since 2015, beginning with an ODI series beginning 4 December, with all three matches originally scheduled to be played in Dhaka.

The third match of the series on 10 December has now been moved to the coastal city of Chittagong which means it will avoid a rally by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which is expected to bring hundreds of thousands on to the streets of Dhaka.

The BNP has staged several huge demonstrations around the country since last month in an effort to force the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.

“Chittagong was originally scheduled to host one Test. We felt there should be an ODI at the venue too,” BCB operations chief Jalal Yunus told AFP on Wednesday.

Jalal declined to comment on whether the protest had caused the late venue change, but the New Age newspaper said the board had taken the decision to avoid the rally, quoting an unnamed BCB official.

Bangladesh will also host India for two Tests in Chittagong from 14-18 December and Dhaka from 22-26 December.

© Agence France-Presse