The 55-year old groundsmen from Kandi, who joined BCB last year before the West Indies tour of Bangladesh, was found in an unconscious state at the Hotel Imperial, where he was lodged, on the morning of November 1.

Nandasena was reportedly running a high temperature the previously day and was scheduled to meet a physician in the morning. But after his driver found there was no response after knocking on his door he informed the BCB's grounds committee officials.

The officials rushed to the hotel sensing something was not right with the usually punctual Nandasena and broke the door down only to find him lying in a heap.

Initially he was taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) from where he was later transferred to the CMH.

The doctors at the CMH said that he suffered a massive haemorrhage. The body of Nandasena has now been kept at the DMCH morgue for an autopsy, which will be done today morning.

BCB president Ali Asghar and his advisory council have expressed their deep shock at the death of Nandasena.

His untimely death came as a big blow for the Board before the Under-19 World Cup, which will be held in eight different venues across the country in January-February next year.

"It's a big loss for us. He knew how to make sporting wickets and through his tireless effort he had already prepared some good tracks," said BCB advisor and grounds committee chairman Shafiqur Rahman last night.

Rahman said that it would take at least two days before the body of Nandasena is sent back to Sri Lanka. His 25-year old son PD Arunasantha was beside his father's deathbed. Arunasantha flew into the city after hearing about the coma.

A general dairy has been registered with the Cantonment Police Station on Monday.

Nandasena signed a six-month contract with the Board in September last year. But after assessing his good work, the Board extended it for another one year to cover the forthcoming ICC under-19 Cricket World Cup.

With the biggest youth cricket festival only a few months away Rahman said that the BCB would now be requesting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to send their curator Andy Atkinson as early as possible.

"Atkinson was scheduled to come here in January and stay until the end of the Youth World Cup. But we now we need him to come immediately as Nandasena is no more," said Rahman.