For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Emi Martinez, the enigmatic Argentine goalkeeper, has shared two photos on Instagram. One captures a street in Dhaka, captioned "Bangladesh", with a Bangladeshi flag and a heart emoji. The other is a photo of a cake welcoming him to a hotel in Dhaka.
The 30-year-old, who played a vital role in Argentina's World Cup triumph in Qatar, arrived in Dhaka early on Monday for a relatively short, but intense 11-hour visit, according to bdnews24.com. His main destination during his brief tour of South Asia was Kolkata, where he spent around two and a half days.
The Aston Villa keeper's visit to Dhaka is not primarily focused on formal events. After a short pit stop at the hotel, he headed to the office of NEXT Ventures, the firm behind his tour of Bangladesh, around 9 am. There, he met Information and Communication Technology Minister Junaid Ahmed Palak, and former captain of the Bangladesh cricket team Mashrafe Bin Mortaza. He is also set to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the afternoon.
However, Martinez is unlikely to experience first-hand the fervour and frenzy that gripped Bangladeshi supporters of Argentina during the World Cup last year. Despite the massive fan following, no public event has been organised around his visit.
Syed Abdullah Jayed, the CEO of NEXT Ventures, explained why that was the case. "We wanted to organise a large event with Martinez, but he only confirmed his trip on Jun 26. Then, we had the Eid holidays and he will also be in Dhaka for a very short time. So, it wouldn't have been possible to organise any event."
NEXT Ventures also invited several members of the Bangladesh national football team to their office. However, they were unable to attend due to their participation in the Bangabandhu SAFF Championship in India.