Women's football in Bangladesh

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Women's football in Bangladesh
2024 SAFF Championship.webp
Bangladesh Women Winning The SAFF Championship in 2024
Country Bangladesh
Governing body Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF)
National team Women's national team
NicknamesBengal Tigresses (বাংলার বাঘিনী)
Red and Green (লাল-সবুজ)
First playedFlag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh 0–1 Nepal    Flag of Nepal.svg
(Dhaka, Bangladesh; 29 January 2010)
Clubs11 (2025–26 Season)
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions

Women's football in Bangladesh is a growing sport. [1] The Bangladesh Women's Football League is the only domestic football league dedicated to woemen's football in Bangladesh. The national team has achieved significant sub-continental success, winning the SAFF Women's Championship in both 2022 and 2024, which has helped grow the popularity of women's football.

Contents

History

The introduction of women's football in Bangladesh came in 1977, when football coach Sheikh Shaheb Ali arranged a training camp at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College. The camp was arranged for an eventually cancelled exhibition match against a team from West Bengal, India. [2] [3]

Eventually, in 2003, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) formed the BFF XI in preparation for three exhibition matches against West Bengal. Although matches were played in both Dhaka and Jessore, the fixture in Netrokona could not be held due to security threats. In the same year, a women's wing was established within the BFF, with Sirajul Islam Bacchu serving as chairman. In 2004, the first ever women's football tournament was organised by the BFF at the Kamalapur Stadium. [2]

In 2005, the BFF formed the Bangladesh women's national under-17 team and participated in the 2005 AFC U-17 Women's Championship held in Namhae, South Korea under the invitation of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). [4] The Bangladesh women's national team made their international debut at the 2010 South Asian Games in Dhaka. Eventually, women's football academies were established throughout the country, notably in Dhaka, Rangamati and Rajshahi. [5] The BFF also launched the BFF Elite Female Academy and received a One Star Recognition as part of the AFC Elite Youth Scheme. [6] The Bangamata U-19 Women's International Gold Cup was also established in 2019, as the country's first international women's football tournament. [7] [8]

Cultural impact

Women's football has served as a significant amount for social change in Bangladesh, particularly in rural and remote regions. This sport has been challenging traditional gender roles and providing a high platform for women.

The Kolsindur phenomenon

The village of Kolsindur has played an important role in development of this sport. Kolsindur is located in Mymensingh District, and in the early 2010s, a group of young girls attended primary school and participated in inter-school football tournament, even though they had no electricity or proper shoes to play football. This grassroots program has produced more than half of the national team players. For example, Maria Manda and Sanjida Akhter two bright stars of the national team are from Kolsindur. [9] Sociologists and historians of sport frequently refer to the Kolsindur Model as an example of how sports can influence rural development and improve access to school for girls in Bangladesh. [10]

National identity and public reception

The success of the 2022 South Asia Football Federation Women's Championship has led to a cultural shift by making a new identity for the sport in Bangladesh. When the players returned home to Dhaka, they were met with thousands of fans who welcomed them back to the capital city through an open-street bus parade. This was the first time a sporting team from Bangladesh had received a public celebration in this style. [11]

Social hurdles

In Bangladesh, sexist people have always opposed women's football. Many players deal with social walls from sexist people of the community related to their clothing and the way they participate as women in an outdoor sport. On October 20, 2003, an exhibition match was scheduled to take place in Netrokona, Bangladesh, but it was cancelled because of security concerns brought on by local leader protests. [12]

The January 29, 2025, women's friendly football match between Rangpur and Joypurhat was cancelled because religious school students and teachers attacked the venue and began violent protests, claiming that football is not Islamic. A similar match in Dinajpur was also cancelled the day before, making the protest the second incident of the week. The Bangladesh Football Federation declared clearly that women have the right to play football and criticised both games. [13] [14]

National competition

A professional national league, a secondary national championship for districts, and a vast grassroots school system make up Bangladesh's women's football competitions.

Women's Football League of Bangladesh

The top professional competition in the country is the Bangladesh Women's Football League (BWFL). It launched in 2011 and is run by the Bangladesh Football Federation. The league was revived in 2020 following a seven year break after its second season. Currently, it has eight to twelve clubs, including Nasrin Sporting Club, one of the major sporting clubs. The BWFL champion is able to compete for Bangladesh in both the AFC Women's Champions League and the SAFF Women's Club Championship.

National Women's Football Championship

District-based and school teams participate in the semi-professional National Women's Football Championship. Teams from Bangladesh's districts and government departments like the Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Ansar play in this competition, compared to the club based tournament BWFL. Before the club based football, this tournament was the top tier in the past, but it is still an important tournament to identify talented players all over nation.

Grassroots and school competitions

The foundation of the women's game in Bangladesh is built on large-scale youth tournaments:

Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold is one of the biggest football competitions for elementary school girls in the world, the Cup was introduced in 2011. Every year, it serves as the main conduit for the national youth academies, involving more than a million students from thousands of schools. [15]

The BFF hosts the Bangamata U-19 International Gold Cup is an invitational competition that gives the country's under-19 and under-20 teams access to elite international games at home.

Inter-School and Inter-College Championships happen between schools and colleges to promote involvement among urban youth. Regional competitions are held in major cities, particularly Dhaka.

Eight teams from various districts across the nation competed in the first women's inter-district football tournament, the Inter-district Women's Football Tournament 2006. The tournament was cancelled after 2007. [16]

The Districts and government institutions competed in the National Women's Championship from 2009–2016 with Citycell sponsoring the first season.

Schools in Dhaka participated in an interschool football competition called the Dhaka Metropolis Women's School Football Championship 2008. The tournament was cancelled after 2010.

National teams

Since 2010, the Bangladesh Football Federation, which is in charge of the national teams, has witnessed a notable increase in both regional influence and international recognition.

Senior National Team: Known as the Bangladeshi women's national football team. They won their first major international trophy at the SAFF Women's Championship in 2022 and successfully defended the title in 2024.

Youth Teams: Bangladesh's Under-20, Under-17, and Under-15 national teams are very active. In the past, these teams have been the most successful in South Asia, frequently winning regional age-level titles and making it to the final stages of the AFC Asian Cup. [17] [18] [19]

BFF Elite Female Academy: The core of the pool of potential players for the national team is formed by the Elite Academy, a program where the best young prospects stay and train every year under professional coaching. [20]

Notable people

Sabina Khatun: She has been a key figure in Bangladesh's football scene for quite some time. Known as the captain, she’s made a name for herself as the highest goalscorer in the nation's history. [21]

Golam Robbani Choton: He served as the head coach of the national football program for quite a long time, from 2009 to 2023. Under his guidance, the national team saw significant changes and growth. [22]

Rituporna Chakma: She is the first person in history to receive a prestigious Begum Rokeya Padak as a footballer in 2025. [23] [24]

Maria Manda: The captain of the youth teams that won several regional championships. Also, an important Midfield player, she is a symbol of the Golden Generation of athletes who made the transition from youth dominance to senior global level recognition. [25]

Rupna Chakma: A talented goalkeeper who won both the 2022 and 2024 SAFF Women's Championships, being the Best Goalkeeper and also winning awards, earning her recognition on a global scale. [26]

References

  1. ↑ Duerden, John (4 October 2022). "Bangladesh are blazing a trail for female footballers in south Asia". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  2. 1 2 "যেভাবে শুরু মেয়েদের ফুটবলের পথচলা". Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  3. ↑ "The rise and rise of women's football". The Daily Star. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  4. ↑ "সেই দিন এই দিন". Prothomalo (in Bengali). 7 September 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  5. ↑ "Inspiring neighbors amid financial shortfall". Dhaka Tribune. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  6. ↑ "BFF Elite Female Academy gets a One (1) Star Recognition". BFF. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  7. ↑ "U-19 Bangamata Gold Cup Football Tournament in April". Daily Sun. 2 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  8. ↑ "Women's Football: Success, challenges and impact beyond the pitch". The Daily Star. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  9. ↑ "How a rural academy in Kalsindur became a sanctuary for future football stars". The Business Standard. 8 August 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  10. ↑ Alam, Khurshed; Akther, Sarmin (1 June 2022). "Are Non-Sports Women Empowered through Sports? The Context of Dhaka City". Asian Women. 38 (2): 23–44. doi:10.14431/aw.2022.6.38.2.23. ISSN   1225-925X.
  11. ↑ "Rooftop parade for Sabina and co: Grand reception awaits SAFF Women's Champions". unb.com.bd. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  12. ↑ MAH, Dhaka (26 May 2003). ""Religious group halts women's football"". The Daily Star. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  13. ↑ "Women's football match cancelled in Bangladesh after religious protests". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  14. ↑ "Bangladesh girls forced to cancel football amid Islamist threats". www.bbc.com. 18 February 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "Rise of the Bangladesh girls". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  16. ↑ bdnews24.com. "Rangamati clinch women's football championship title". Rangamati clinch women's football championship title. Retrieved 5 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ "Bangladesh U-17 women's football team defeat UAE | Sports". BSS. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "History as women qualify for U-20 AFC Asian Cup". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  19. ↑ trumptree360. "Unbeaten Bangladesh clinch SAFF U15 title |". BFF. Retrieved 4 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ↑ "Bangladesh-China friendly match tomorrow | Sports". BSS. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  21. ↑ "Sabina, the top-paid signing". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  22. ↑ "Women's football coach Golam Rabbani Choton sends resignation letter to BFF". unb.com.bd. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  23. ↑ "Rituporna receives prestigious Rokeya Padak | Sports". BSS. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  24. ↑ "A big match player from the hills". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  25. ↑ বদিউজ্জামান (24 December 2021). "'এখন বলে, ওই দেখো মারিয়ার মা যাচ্ছে'". Prothomalo (in Bengali). Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  26. ↑ Roni, Farid Uddin (26 October 2022). "The inspiring story of national footballer Rupana Chakma". The Daily Star. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
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