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Emirates, the official airlines for the 1999 World Cup, launched its good luck signing campaign for the Bangladesh cricket team yesterday.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Obaidul Quader got the good wish programme on by putting the first signature in a big book at a city hotel in the afternoon.

The book will remain open for all at the Sheraton Hotel lobby today and tomorrow in between 10 am to 8 pm.

The book will subsequently travel to Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna, Jessore and other major districts to collect good luck messages from thousands of cricket lovers across the country.

It will then be handed over to the Bangladesh cricket team before they depart for Cardiff on April 14 by the Emirates, the national airlines of United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Edris Taher, manager of Emirates in Bangladesh, and Qazi Zahirul Qayum, the sales manager of Emirates, Bangladesh, were present at the launching ceremony.

Speaking to the reporters, Qazi Zahirul Qayum revealed Emirates would also arrange two quiz competitions through different leading national dailies in Bangladesh to create more enthusiasm among local cricket fans. One contest will be held before the World Cup while the other during the event in United Kingdom from May 14. Attractive prizes, including free passage to London with tickets for the final at Lords, will be up for grabs.

Emirates will also offer free passages to Dubai and Kuala Lumpur and many other attractive consolation gifts.

Apart from the quiz, Emirates, which began their affiliation with cricket by sponsoring a tri-nation series in England last summer, will hold a reception to the Bangladesh cricket team on April 13.

Qayum said that Emirates, who are also sponsoring the Australian team in the World Cup, would carry all the participating teams to England, excepting West Indies and South Africa.

South Africa will travel by their own national airlines, which is affiliated with Emirates, while Emirates do not have any operations in the Caribbean.