Kolkata coloured in Bangladeshi green

Marquis Street was a river of green jerseys as Bangladeshi fans flocked to Kolkata ahead of their two World Cup games, against Netherlands and Pakistan, in the city. They walked in groups - families, friends, and fan associations - rolling their suitcases, gathering in restaurants, and crowding around mobile stores.

Walking through Marquis Street to the adjacent Mirza Ghalib Street, to Sudder Street, on to the New Market area, and all the way to Park Street, the scene was pretty similar. Thousands of Bangladeshis, and so easy to spot because a lot of them wore different versions of their team's jersey.

A group from Araihazar, Narayanganj, indulged in traditional Bengali sweets. A newly-wed couple had just arrived, though they are not counting this as their honeymoon. There were several cricket club officials milling around too.

The shared culture, language and heritage have made Kolkata the most popular destination for Bangladeshis for decades. As the economy expanded in the 1990s, it became a hotspot for shopping and medical visits, and those who could afford to would make the trip just to watch the latest Bollywood movies.

Bangladeshis, however, haven't had much reason or opportunity to watch cricket at Eden Gardens. They've hardly played there. During the long period when the BCCI did not host Bangladesh in bilateral series because it wasn't considered commercially viable, fans often wondered why they couldn't play in Kolkata, where a crowd could come from across the border. They've played just one ODI at Eden Gardens in 1990 and two games during the 2016 T20 World Cup.

In 2019, Bangladesh visited Kolkata again for the grand occasion of India's first day-night Test, with BCCI president Sourav Ganguly inviting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with the Bangladeshi players from their inaugural Test against India in 2000.

That Test lasted just two days, which underlined why the BCCI hasn't asked Bangladesh to come over all that often. The 2023 World Cup fixture in Pune was Bangladesh's first ODI against India in India for 25 years.

Now, despite Bangladesh's poor performance in the World Cup, more than 10,000 fans have come to Kolkata for the game against Netherlands, and more are expected to arrive in time to watch the Pakistan game on October 31.

It is common for fans to travel to distant countries to watch marquee sporting events. FIFA World Cups have fans coming from countries who don't even have teams at the tournament. But given the paucity of international fans at this World Cup, the Bangladeshi contingent in Kolkata is a welcome sight.