Queen’s baton arrives

Queen Elizabeth II’s Baton for next year’s Commonwealth Games arrived in Bangladesh on Monday, five days after it was launched by the Queen herself at the Buckingham Palace.

Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Faruk Khan received the baton at the airport from where Bangladesh Olympic Association officials with military guard carried it to the British High Commissioner Robert Gibson’s residence for an official reception.

According to the British High Commission, the baton, made of titanium, wood and granite was specially designed for the ‘Glasgow-2014 Commonwealth Games’ in Scotland and carries a message from the Queen as head of the commonwealth.

The Queen will read aloud the message at the opening ceremony of the 11-day Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on July 23 next year.

Since 1985, the baton relay is a tradition of the Games that unites the two billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace.

This year, the baton first stopped in India, the host nation of the last Commonwealth Games.

It will leave Bangladesh on October 16 for Pakistan to complete its round of all commonwealth nations and territories running over 198,000 kilometres in more than 248 days.

The British High Commissioner at the reception said he was delighted as the Bangladeshi people would be among the first to see the baton.

He said the baton was a symbolic invitation to Commonwealth nations and territories to attend the Games.

“The Commonwealth brings together a diverse range of countries, people and cultures from all corners of the globe to tackle challenges such as promoting democracy and human rights, climate change and prosperity,” he said.

He said the baton embodies Glasgow and Scotland’s culture, history, and innovation in its design and construction.

“Glasgow today has reinvented itself as a vibrant and dynamic city, yet its links with Bangladesh remain strong,” he said.

“Both the ubiquitous Singer sewing machines and Coates, the largest supplier of threads to Bangladesh’s garment industry, trace their roots back to Glasgow.”

The Games will feature 17 sports in the 11-day competition with 261 medal events on show. It will host to 4,500 athletes and sell 10,00,000 tickets, according to the British High Commission in Dhaka.

Civil aviation and tourism minister Faruk Khan, Bangladesh Olympic Association Secretary General Syed Shahed Reza and Vice Chair of Glasgow 2014 Louise Martin were present among others at the reception.