Cricket has been played in India since the 18th century and it continued to be played in first Pakistan and then Bangladesh as these countries became politically independent.
Bangladesh had staged first-class and even Test cricket when it was part of Pakistan. The Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka was first used for Test cricket when Pakistan played India there in January 1955. It was used for numerous important matches, including Tests, right up to the declaration of independence in 1971. The MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong also dates back to 1954 as a first-class venue but it was not used for Tests until Bangladesh played there in 2001.
The beginning of Bangladesh's own first-class era (i.e., as an independent state) began when the national team played England A in Chittagong on 25-27 October 1999. The match was drawn.
On 10-13 November 2000, Bangladesh played its inaugural Test Match v India in the Bangabandhu National Stadium. India won by 9 wickets.
The 2000-01 season saw the beginning of first-class domestic competition in Bangladesh, although the country had already staged first-class matches against touring teams in the previous year. The Green Delta National Cricket League was constituted as the first-class championship and the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea One-Day League as the premier limited overs competition. In 2000-01, both titles were won by Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
