In a groundbreaking move to tap into the global Bangladeshi diaspora, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has announced a three-day trial programme for 52 expatriate footballers of Bangladeshi origin, aged between 14 and 27. The initiative, titled “BFF Next Global Star”, will take place from 28 to 30 June at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka.
The programme is part of the BFF’s broader strategy to integrate overseas talent into various national football teams. This marks the first time in the country’s football history that such an initiative is being undertaken on this scale.
The details were unveiled on Wednesday at a press conference held at the Raowa Club in the capital. BFF Vice President and Chairman of the Development Committee, Md Nasser Shahrear Zahedee, shared insights into the project, describing it as a significant step towards building a more competitive national team by harnessing the potential of Bangladeshi talent abroad.
Players are participating in the trial at their own expense, with the BFF providing only jerseys, shorts, and socks. The registration deadline has been set for 27 June.
The trials will be overseen by a Performance Evaluation Panel, with Bangladesh national team head coach Javier Cabrera serving as an observer throughout. The coaching panel includes several prominent names in Bangladeshi football: BFF Technical Director Saifur Bari Titu, Saeed Hasan Kanon, AKM Maruful Haque, Zulfiqar Mahmud Mintu, Mahbub Hossain Roxy, Golam Rabbani Choton, and Alfaz Ahmed.
Participants hail from 14 different countries, with the highest numbers coming from the United Kingdom (20 players) and the United States (14). Other countries represented include Sweden (5), Canada (2), and one each from Finland, Belgium, Wales, Italy, Malaysia, Estonia, Spain, Australia, Ireland, and Austria.
Daily sessions during the trial will be divided into two groups, and the event will culminate in a friendly match on the final day among the participants.
Several other BFF Executive Committee members attended the press conference, including Iqbal Hossain, Golam Gaus, Manjurul Karim, Kamrul Hasan Milton, Satyajit Das Rupu, and Sayeed Hasan Kanon.
In related news, the Bangladesh women’s national team has arrived in Myanmar ahead of their AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifying campaign.