Bangladesh women’s head coach Peter James Butler has insisted that national team selection remains open to all players, even as controversy grows over his decisions ahead of the Women’s Asian Cup and his absence from the senior team camp.
Speaking through a post on his personal Facebook account, Butler clarified that the squad announced by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is only a preliminary group and not the final team for the Asian Cup, which will be held in Australia from 1 March.
“I want to make one thing absolutely clear: I have not yet announced the final squad, and the opportunity remains open to everyone,” Butler wrote. “At present, we have formed a preliminary training group. There are also question marks over a few players due to injuries sustained in the league.”
The statement came a day after the BFF announced a 29-member preliminary squad on 29 January, hours after Butler had flown to Nepal with his coaching staff to oversee the SAFF Under-19 Women’s Championship, which begins on 31 January. His decision to prioritise the age-group tournament over the senior team camp has drawn criticism and raised questions about preparation for Bangladesh’s maiden Women’s Asian Cup appearance.
The preliminary squad includes several players who had previously been involved in a public dispute with Butler earlier in January, such as Monika Chakma, Maria Manda, Rituparna Chakma, Rupna Chakma and Shamsunnahar. However, the absence of experienced figures like Sabina Khatun, Krishna Rani Sarkar, Nilufa Yasmin Neela, Sanjida Khatun and Masura Parvin has sparked widespread debate.
The omission of Sabina, in particular, has been controversial, as Bangladesh recently won the SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship under her captaincy.
Addressing the criticism, Butler suggested that changes could still be made before the final squad is selected. He also pointed to logistical limitations as a key challenge in preparation.
“We were unable to organise an overseas training camp, which is extremely important for our preparation,” he wrote. “That is why I am using this seven-day period to evaluate the current group, while also observing the Under-19 team in Nepal. One or two outstanding young talents from the U-19 squad are under consideration for the AFC Asian Cup.”
While Butler was in Nepal, the national team camp began in Dhaka on 29 January. The 29 players trained at the National Stadium in the morning after checking in at a city hotel. Of them, 27 players came from six Women’s Football League clubs, including Rajshahi Stars, Bangladesh Army Football Club, Farashganj, Bangladesh Police FC, BKSP and Ansar. Sweden-based Anika Rania Siddiqui also joined the camp.
With Butler absent, the Dhaka camp has been declared “closed-door” and placed under the supervision of Australian fitness trainer Lord Macaron, assisted by local coaches. The focus is currently on physical conditioning rather than tactical work.
The Women’s Asian Cup represents a historic opportunity for Bangladesh. Placed in Group B, they will face China on 3 March, North Korea on 6 March and Uzbekistan on 9 March. A win against Uzbekistan could open the door to a quarter-final berth, which would also keep alive qualification hopes for the Women’s World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Butler is expected to return to Dhaka after the SAFF U-19 final on 7 February. He will then have roughly a week to work with the senior team before their scheduled departure on 15 or 16 February. The BFF is attempting to arrange a short training camp and friendly matches in Thailand; otherwise, the team will travel directly to Sydney.
Despite the growing criticism, Butler ended his statement on a defiant and optimistic note.
“It is unfortunate that we could not organise an overseas camp, but we are moving forward with great positivity and enthusiasm,” he wrote. “We have an exciting group of young players who will fight with pride for the Bangladesh jersey, regardless of the results.”
