SYLHET: The six-nation Bangabandhu Gold Cup International Football Tournament has been kicked off at Sylhet District Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Host Bangladesh is playing against Malaysia in the opening match of the tournament here.

Earlier, finance minister AMA Muhith inaugurated the tournament in a colorful ceremony.

The opening ceremony included a brief cultural show, upholding Sylhet’s culture and heritage.

The half an hour show featured dance performances by ethnic communities and music performances by popular singers Shuvro Dev and Mila.

Earlier, addressing a pre-match press conference around 2:30pm Wednesday, both the football teams expected to win the opening match.

Singapore and Sri Lanka teams arrived in Sylhet on Wednesday but Thailand is yet to arrive.

Sylhet Metropolitan police additional deputy commissioner (media) Rahmat Ullah said that tight security measures have been taken centering the tournament to ensure security for the participating teams and the fans.

The other participating teams are Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bahrain and Singapore.

BDST: 1733 HRS, JAN 29, 2015

** Bangabandhu Gold Cup begins in afternoon