| Stadium Name: | Sheikh Hasina International Cricket Stadium |
| Nickname: | The Boat |
| Location: | Sector 1, Purbachal Expressway, Purbachal, Dhaka |
| Coordinates: | 23.8363°N 90.4789°W |
| Broke Ground: | 28 November 2019 |
| Owner: | Bangladesh Cricket Board |
| Operator: | Bangladesh Cricket Board |
| Architect: | Populous |
| Tenants: | Bangladesh national cricket team Dhaka Dynamites (Starting 2026-27 season) |
| Main Contractors: | Populous Rajuk |
| Seating Capacity: | 50,000 (expandable to 70,000) |
| Publictransit: | MRT Line 1 |
| Surface: | Australia grass |
| Suites: | 120 |
Sheikh Hasina International Cricket Stadium (Bengali: শেখ হাসিনা আন্তর্জাতিক ক্রিকেট স্টেডিয়াম) or The Boat is an under-construction cricket stadium located in Sector-1 of multi-billion dollar Purbachal New Town on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh.[1]
The stadium is going to be built by Bangladesh Cricket Board and it is the second stadium after sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium, Cox's Bazar which is fully own by BCB. Planned to open in 2026, the stadium will serve as the headquarter of Bangladesh Cricket Board, home to Bangladesh national cricket team and Dhaka franchise of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).[2]
SHICS will be developed as a multi-function area. After the inauguration of the stadium, Bangladesh Cricket Board will shift its headquarter to this venue from Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Other than a cricket stadium, the complex will also have indoor sports and water sports facilities. Other than the sports facilities, transit-oriented development with a five-star hotel would be developed in the stadium area. An outer stadium with a capacity of at least 2,500 spectators will also be developed which can be used for art performances besides sports.[3]
The stadium is being constructed in Sector I of Purbachal New Town, in close proximity to multi-billion dollars Iconic City development project. The stadium will have five-storied pavilion, 3-tier stands with a capacity of 50,000, and the option to add at least 25,000 additional seats. The budget for the development of the stadium is estimated at 1300-crores ($140 million), making it the most expensive cricket stadium in Asia.[4] From the budget, 37 crores were allocated towards the development of a separate practice facility for Bangladesh national cricket team.In April 2023, BCB also expressed its view to accommodate five other sports federations of the country on the premise of this venue.[5]
The venue is located in about 38acres of land east of Turag River at Purbachal Express Highway. Groundbreaking of the stadium began in November 2019 and is expected to be completed by December 2022.[6] Upon completion in 2022, The stadium will become the third largest-ever cricket stadium in terms of capacity, and the most expensive cricket stadium in Asia.[7] [8] [9] [10]
In August 2019, the Bangladesh Cricket Board released a notice of Expression of Interest (EOI), inviting consultancy firms to submit detailed designs and construction plans for the stadium.[11] But the designing and construction process was delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
In October 2022, Australia-based architectural firm Populous was awarded the contract to design and build the stadium in a 30-months timeframe.[12] [13]
In April 2023, it was reported that BCB sent a letter to National Board of Revenue seeking custom duties and tax exemptions on the construction materials and all types of expenses related to this project.[14] In November 2023, BCB invited tenders from internation firms for the construction of the stadium.[15]
