Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that a grand reception will be accorded to the Bangladesh U19 cricket team that won the maiden U-19 World Cup which she described as a "great gift" for the nation in the "Mujib Year", the centenary year of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh.

“Whenever Bangladesh team had won any trophy, we have welcomed them with a reception. We’ll also accord a mass reception to the ICC Under-19 World Cup-winning Bangladesh team,” she declared adding that “They showed an excellent performance throughout the tournament., UNB reported”

A Bangladesh MP has also demanded that the government should bear the cost of education of the members of the team, a report published in The Independent said.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon said that they want to devise special plans for them to refurbish their potential for the future Bangladesh team. Cricket fans in the capital and all around the country brought out victory rallies with dancing and distributing sweets as the roaring Youth Tigers went on to wild celebrations after the final.

Bangladesh U-19 team rode skipper Akbar Ali's heroic unbeaten knock to stun four-time winners India and win their maiden World Cup by three wickets via D/L method in a nerve-wrenching final, interrupted by rain towards the end, in South Africa on Sunday.