The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) marked the first anniversary of its current executive committee on Sunday with a self-congratulatory tone, while steering clear of several pressing issues within the country’s football structure.
The occasion coincided with the federation’s fifth ordinary executive meeting, held at the BFF headquarters in Dhaka and chaired by President Tabith Awal. The session, lasting over four and a half hours, revolved around constitutional amendments and a review of the federation’s achievements rather than financial or internal concerns.
Speaking after the meeting, BFF Executive Committee member and Media Committee Chairman Amirul Islam Babu said the federation’s leadership wanted to “thank everyone for their contributions” over the past year.
He highlighted several milestones, including the women’s team winning the SAFF Championship and qualifying for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup main round for the first time, the national futsal team’s participation in the AFC qualifiers, and the inclusion of players like Hamza Chowdhury and Shamit Shome in the men’s national setup.
“If there were shortcomings, we hope they are viewed with understanding,” Babu remarked.
The meeting also noted that around 50–60 percent progress had been made in aligning BFF’s constitution with FIFA and AFC guidelines, with further discussions to follow. However, financial reporting for the recent home matches against Singapore and Hong Kong, China, was not addressed.
A debate also arose over the proposed change in voting rights for the women’s league currently limited to the top four clubs.
Despite the celebration, key concerns within Bangladesh football remained untouched. The Pioneer, First, and Third Division leagues continue to be inactive, while stagnation in district-level football and criticism of national team coach Javier Cabrera persist. Babu confirmed that these matters were not discussed in the meeting.
Bonuses for SAFF-winning players Sabina Khatun and Rituparna Chakma were also not finalised, though the federation indicated that arrangements would be made soon.
Addressing the media in Bangla, Babu described the past year as “record-breaking” in terms of the number of matches played by both the men’s and women’s teams since the committee’s election in October 2024. He added that the lifting of FIFA’s financial restrictions and the international recognition of President Tabith Awal who was appointed to FIFA’s Football Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation Committee were among the federation’s highlights.
He also mentioned that Mahfuza Akter Kiron, another BFF executive member, was selected for FIFA’s Youth Girls’ Competition Committee, while the federation earned the AFC President’s Recognition Award (Bronze) for grassroots football.
Babu further outlined domestic progress, such as the installation of new astro turfs at Kamalapur and the BFF-adjacent ground, and the introduction of competitions like the National Championship 2025, U-15 and U-14 tournaments, the JFA Cup, beach football, riverside football and indigenous football several of which are ongoing.
He concluded by requesting continued support from the media and football fans ahead of a busy November featuring men’s and women’s international fixtures, including Bangladesh’s match against India and a women’s tri-nation tournament.
