Bangladesh Football Federation vice president Fahad Karim told Daily Times of Bangladesh on Thursday that Nilay van der Ploeg’s move to play for Bangladesh now hinges on the player and his Dutch lawyers, after dual citizenship rules complicated the final stretch of his eligibility.
Karim has run the case at the BFF since the federation opened the file last November. Nilay and his family backed the move from the start.
The federation has finished his birth certificate work. The Bangladeshi passport file had also progressed.
Dutch citizenship law then boxed the deal in. The Netherlands strips a citizen of Dutch nationality once they accept a second passport. To play for Bangladesh, Nilay must give up his Dutch papers.
Karim told Daily Times of Bangladesh, “Nilay. We are ready and birth certificate is done. It’s his call now if he wants to get a BD passport since Dutch law is different and strict about dual citizenship. So we are waiting for his call. So it’s up to Nilay and his lawyers right now.”
The Dutch rule is decisive. Nilay cannot hold both passports, so the BFF must wait while he weighs the choice with his legal team.
Nilay, 21, plays as a central midfielder for FC Emmen U21, with attacking midfield as his secondary role. He joined Emmen’s reserves on 1 July 2023 after youth spells at FC Groningen and Be Quick 1887. His father is Dutch and his mother is Bangladeshi.
