For as long as we can remember, the mood around Bangladeshi football was similar to attending a funeral. People talked about the glory days of the 1990s and early 2000s, akin to the physical peak of a man who had just kicked the bucket due to old age. Then there were talks about the legendary figures, Monem Munna, Kazi Salahuddin, Aminul Haque, Kaisar Hamed and how players of this quality are no longer being made. Everything felt like a slow, grueling farewell to a person that was once the joy of the party.
But fast forward to today and interest in football has never been higher. More people are attending Bangladesh Premier League matches than going to the Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe Test match, something that was unthinkable a few years ago. People are excited about football, and we all know that the only reason this resurrection is going on is because of one man who set the tone, Hamza Chowdhury.
The Denial of Death
Hamza Chowdhury, currently playing in the EFL Championship for Sheffield United on loan from Premier League outfit Leicester City, was the subject of fantasy for the majority of Bangladeshi football fans. A player of Bangladeshi-origin playing regularly in one of the best leagues in the world, fans back at home could only dream that someday, he would don the green of Bangladesh.
That dream would be realized March 25, 2025, as Hamza Chowdhury outclassed everyone on the field during the Men in Green’s 0-0 draw with India. His performance was not a surprise but rather a beacon of hope, a potential way forward for Bangladesh.
Following Hamza’s decision, many other players have come forward with the decision to play for Bangladesh. Twice capped former Canadian international Shamit Shome has already switched his allegiance to the Bengal Tigers, while Birmingham born Sunderland youngster Cuba Mitchell is on the verge of doing so.
Then you have the Sullivan brothers, Quinn, Declan, Ronan and Cavan are all eligible to represent the Men in Green. Italy based Fahamedul Islam came close to debuting but was ultimately deemed too young by Javier Cabrera.
Surprised by Hope
But this beggars the question, with this influx of abroad based footballers into the national team, how will this paint the future of Bangladeshi football? How far can you go with putting new layers of paint, while keeping the same dilapidated engine?
Bangladesh Football Federation member Amit Hassan has said,
“Yes, in the short term, I believe it’s sustainable as long as we focus on improving the grassroots football scene and the infrastructure. The arrival of foreign-based players brings much-needed experience and exposure, but long-term success depends on a strong foundation built from the ground up. Developing local talent and improving facilities should be part of a broader plan that integrates foreign players while fostering local talent to ensure sustainability in the long run.”
While that is all good, what do the players currently playing in the domestic arena think about this foreign-based revolution?
Fortis FC youngster Piash Ahmed Nova spoke to Times of Bangladesh,
“I believe domestic football will improve if they (Foreign based footballers) continue to come. They play abroad in high quality leagues, we can learn a lot from them. We are all happy if they perform well, they can impart their knowledge onto us, so I believe this is good for domestic football.”
Additionally, many domestic footballers believe that this can realize Bangladesh’s far-sighted dream of playing in the World Cup. Police FC talisman Alamin, who was recently called up to the national team squad, has said that playing with foreign based footballers can only be for the better. Speaking to Times of Bangladesh he said,
“They have a lot of high-quality facilities and it’s good to see them play for us. I believe we will be stronger with them and play in the world cup someday; that’s my dream.
A lot of us also dream about playing with them, like me. I want to play with Shamit Shome, Hamza Chowdhury bhai. I want the federation to work on bringing more players, to make us stronger.”
When asked about the current prospects of the domestic arena, the mood changed from promising to a lot more pessimistic.
“The current situation is not good. But I hope this will improve, although it will take some time. But it’s in the right direction as people are talking about football, it’s on everybody’s mind. The people are with us,” he said.
Alamin also believes that the domestic players should improve their performance to stay in the national team, rather than having doubts about the players coming from abroad. He added,
“Some might say that the domestic footballers will get demotivated seeing the current situation, but I want to emphasize that I want to improve my performance and play for the national team. There should be the mentality of ‘I want to play over them courtesy of my performance’, Bangladesh Premier League will also improve if we continue like this, it is already improving.”
The Passage
Aowsaf Tasin from Save Bangladesh Football has echoed the statements put out by the players,
“You only have to see at Indonesia, they’re currently going head to head against Saudi Arabia and Australia after getting their foreign based players to play for them. Even a few years ago, they were drawing with us, now they are miles ahead. You can see how it clearly worked for them and I think we are on the right path.
I believe if we can properly develop this culture, find the correct balance, then we can play in the 2030 World Cup.”
Bangladeshi football Ultras, a popular online platform, central committee member Sayeed Ibne Nasir has said,
“We must also look at the grassroots football, improve the domestic arena. Although football is going towards the right direction, there is a chance of this project failing if we do not emphasize development of our domestic scene.”
Bangladesh football was once the apple of the eye of the people. The craze, the popularity, it never truly died out, but it was on its last legs. In order to avoid a scenario like that once again, we must invest in the 169 million people that are in this country.