Talking to newsmen after a meeting of BCB, its president Saber Hossain Chowsdhury MP said he hoped that the opposition 7-party alliance will withdraw the hartal in the interest of sports of the country.

``I will also personally request the Leader of the Opposition in this regard as national interest and prestige are linked with the tournament,'' said Saber who is also Deputy Minister for Shipping.

He said: There is no scope to change the arrival schedule as it was set much earlier. ``I hope that the opposition would realise the situation and call off the hartal.''

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led 7-party alliance called for a day-long general strike in the capital on Sunday as authorities denied to allow them to stage a mass hunger strike on the day in front of Wills Cup venue for the sake of last momement preparations of the tournament.

Meanwhile, the BCB meeting formed a 36-member organising committee for the knock-out basis world cup to be participated by all the nine test playing countries from October 24 to November 2.

The committee, headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, includes Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad, Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria and State Minister for Sports Obaidul Qader.

All BCB members are also members of this committee, which will supervise the overall activities of the first ever knock out basis world cup tournament.

The BCB also formed an advisory committee comprising members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Sports, DCC mayor Mohammad Hanif, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury, State Minister for Jute AK Faezul Huq and State Minister for LGRD Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, and former Finance Minister Saifur Rahman, former State Minister for Sports Sadeq Hossain Khoka and Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed. The last three are opposition BNP leaders.