Bangladesh football moved another step forward on Sunday night as the Bangladesh Football Federation confirmed major progress on the eligibility of Ronan Sullivan and Declan Sullivan, two US-born twins set to represent Bangladesh, with paperwork advancing in New York and Dhaka firmly in sight.
The update landed in a wider moment of change. Since Hamza Choudhury made his international debut, diaspora recruitment has shifted from occasional experiments to a clear strategy across senior, youth, and women’s teams.
That structure now stretches deep into domestic football. Several overseas-based players feature in the Bangladesh Football League’s second phase, while the women’s side continues the same push, underlining that this policy runs through the entire system.
Against that backdrop, the Sullivan family stands out. Of four brothers born in the United States, Quinn Sullivan and Cavan Sullivan have committed to the US pathway, but the younger twins chose a different route and pledged their future to Bangladesh.
Ronan Sullivan brings his threat as a centre-forward, while Declan Sullivan slots in at right-back. One attacks space, the other protects it, and together they add balance to Bangladesh’s youth plans.
BFF vice-president Fahad Karim confirmed the breakthrough in a video message. “I mentioned earlier that we are working on five origin players,” he said. “Alhamdulillah, in the case of the Sullivan brothers, the major steps have been completed.”
Karim explained that officials have collected and verified birth certificates and completed the documents needed for passport applications. “The only step left is submission at the Bangladesh mission in New York,” he said, before adding, “Their appointment will be scheduled this week, and we hope they receive their passports as quickly as possible.”
The BFF president has stayed hands-on throughout. Karim noted that Tabith Awal has assured full support once the final applications go through, a signal that the federation wants speed, not delay.
If timelines hold, the twins could arrive in Dhaka by mid-March. “If all goes well, they will arrive on March 14 or 15,” Karim said. “The first youth competition this year is the SAFF Under-20 Championship, and I believe both brothers will represent Bangladesh there.”
That journey did not happen overnight. Karim traced the first contact back to a Bangladeshi supporters’ group, then conversations with the twins’ grandmother, and later repeated calls and Zoom meetings with their parents and the players themselves.
Eligibility rests on family roots rather than convenience. The twins qualify through their mother, with a Bangladeshi grandmother and a German grandfather, giving them ties across three countries but a clear choice in football terms.
