Bangladesh football team stranded at Kathmandu hotel as youth protests rock Nepal

Bangladesh's national football team is confined to their hotel in Kathmandu as anti-government protests escalate in Nepal.

The death toll from a protest against corruption and a social media ban have hit 14, disrupting preparations for the visiting team’s second friendly match against Nepal.

Curfews imposed in diplomatic zones and widespread standoffs across the capital have prevented the squad from travelling to Dashrath Stadium for training.

The match is set for Tuesday afternoon, starting at 5:45pm local time.

Bangladesh’s team, including captain Jamal Bhuyan and forward Mitul, were due to depart for practice at 3pm but remained stuck due to blockades by student protesters near the venue.

A pre-match press conference proceeded as planned at the hotel around noon.

“The scheduled training time was at 3pm. At around half past 2pm, I came down to the hotel lobby and was informed that we could not leave then,” spokesman Sadman Sakib confirmed to bdnews24.com, saying the situation was forcing them to remain indoors.

“Students had blockaded the area around the stadium. Further updates on the training session will be provided shortly.”