DHAKA: Residents of the Bangladesh port city of Chittagong have been asked to give their homes and shops a new lick of paint to make a bright, colourful impression on cricket World Cup visitors.

Gearing up to host two group and a warm-up match, the Chittagong City Corporation has asked for fresh painting of the houses and shops along the main roads from the airport to the city centre.

“We need your cooperation to present the beauty of the city to players, officials and other dignitaries, who will visit us during the World Cup,” the corporation said in a newspaper advertisement on Saturday.

Bangladesh will host England in a Mar 11 Group B match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium and return to take on the Netherlands at the same venue three days later.