A Pakistani fan on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Dhaka, March 23: As Shahid Afridi’s team won this evening’s quarter-finals against West Indies, many couldn’t forget that this day 40 years ago, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman had raised the Bangladesh flag in what was then east Pakistan.

March 23 has always been special for Bangladesh, and Mujib’s raising of the flag at his house before thousands of people was seen as the ultimate protest against Pakistan that had been commemorating it as Pakistan Day since 1940.

Today, 40 years since that 1971 day, Mujib’s countrymen were hoping that their cricket team would give them another reason to unfurl that flag in joy and pride: by defeating Pakistan and reaching the semi-finals.

That wasn’t to be and Bangladesh crashed out in the group stage. But after today’s outcome, many hope the Afridi-led Pakistani team will meet its comeuppance another way: a defeat at the hands of India.

“How can I forget? We all know what happened this day 40 years ago. All of us have someone in our families who was lost forever during those days (of the liberation struggle). I will not deny I had bought the tickets hoping to see Bangladesh play Pakistan and beat them,” said Mohammad Rashid who had come to the Mirpur stadium with his wife and brother.

There were many reminders about history. Local media have been full of reports in recent weeks on the events of March 1971 leading up to the Independence Day on March 26. That had led Rashid to hope for a Bangladesh-Pakistan clash all the more.

“The (Bangla) team gave me hope that my dream will come true when they beat England. I hung on to my tickets and my hope, but then they lost. I didn’t have the heart to sell the tickets. But as a cricket lover, I am happy Pakistan won so that now India can maul them. An India-Pak semi-final is sure to be a treat,” Rashid added.

Thousands turned up for the match today but they were the most silent group of spectators that Dhaka has seen this World Cup. As the West Indies and Pakistani teams were driven into the stadium, the lack of interest was clear. There were few Bangladeshi fans rushing either to greet the squads or to get autographs.

The placards in the stadium had changed, too. The euphoric banners of “Doura, tiger ailo (run, the tigers are coming)”, put up for the home side earlier, gave way to those reflecting anger at the team’s exit. One said “Go back Siddons, save our cricket”, another said “No more Australian coach”. The reference was to Australian Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh team’s coach.

The men who held on to the placards were glum-faced. They did not react even when Afridi brought the Windies down to their knees by restricting them to a paltry score of 112 in the first innings and later winning the match by 10 wickets. Even Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s six was greeted by silence from the stands.

Now, all the buzz was about a possible India-Pakistan clash. “Although a part of me wanted to see Pakistan lose, the cricket buff in me wanted the team to win. It’s difficult not to feel that way given our history of bitter relations with Pakistan. But at the end of the day, it’s just a game. Who wouldn’t want to see an India-Pakistan match? Such a match is the best in any tournament,” said Rafikur Islam as he came out of the stadium.

Tanim Ali preferred to sell his ticket for today’s match and watch the game on a giant screen in front of Dhaka University. An India-Pakistan encounter is all that he is looking forward to now. “The only exciting thing left in this World Cup is an India-Pakistan match. All of us here want to see that.”