In Joypurhat’s Akkelpur, allegations have surfaced that the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) indirectly encouraged stopping a women’s football match. Meanwhile, in Dinajpur’s Hakimpur, a violent clash broke out between organizers and individuals attempting to halt a women’s match.
The attack on the venue of the friendly women’s match in Akkelpur was reportedly led by individuals claiming that the UNO himself advised them to stage a protest against women playing football.
Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Maulana Abubakar Siddique, the Naib-e-Muhtamim of Tilakpur Rabeya Bosri Women’s Madrasa, claimed that the UNO suggested they hold a human chain protest. On Tuesday, under his leadership, a group attacked the field, vandalizing the tin fence surrounding the venue before the match could take place.
However, UNO Manjurul Alam denied these allegations, stating, “I was unaware of any protest until the tin fencing was destroyed on Wednesday.”
Attack on Women’s Football Venue
The inter-district football tournament, organized by the local T-Star Club, was scheduled to take place at the Tilakpur High School field on November 2. Tickets were sold for spectators, priced at 30 taka for sitting on the ground and 70 taka for seating on chairs. To manage ticketed entry, organizers had enclosed the field with tin fencing.
According to Samiul Hasan Imon, the tournament’s organizing committee president and BNP’s organizational secretary for Akkelpur, a special exhibition match featuring women’s teams was planned before the final. The friendly match was set to take place on Wednesday between teams from Rangpur and Thakurgaon.
Extensive promotion had been carried out in the area. However, on Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of people attacked the venue under the banner of “Agitated Worshippers,” tearing down the tin fence. Samiul Hasan Imon alleged, “After Asr prayers, a group of locals, including members of Jamaat-e-Islami, launched the attack, destroying the fence.”
Given the unrest, Imon stated, “For now, we will not organize any further tournaments or women’s football matches. We haven’t filed any legal cases either, and we have no plans to do so. The situation isn’t safe.”
Allegations Against the UNO
The protest against the women’s match was led by Maulana Abubakar Siddique, who stated, “Even though it wasn’t a women’s tournament, we were informed that women would be playing football. So, we submitted an application to the UNO requesting that women be prohibited from playing. The UNO advised us to hold a human chain protest, which we did on December 25. During that protest, organizer Imon assured us that they would not arrange a women’s match. However, we later discovered that the match was still being planned. When we informed the UNO again, he sent a team to remove the tin fencing. When they faced resistance, we took matters into our own hands and dismantled the fencing ourselves on Wednesday.”
When questioned about the protest, Maulana Siddique claimed, “Allowing women to play football will corrupt the morals of the youth. Moreover, the event included obscene dance performances and drug use. That’s why we put an end to it.”
He added, “The government may encourage women’s football, but our local community does not support it. We will not allow it in the future either.”
However, Samiul Hasan Imon refuted these claims, stating, “We organized only the football matches. There were no drugs or dance performances. Since they opposed it, we had no choice but to cancel the match. We haven’t taken any legal action.”
UNO Manjurul Alam also denied involvement in the protest, saying, “The claim that I advised a human chain protest against women’s football is false. No one can ban women’s football in Bangladesh. The government actively supports it. The permission given was for a men’s tournament. The organizers did not seek approval for the women’s match, and the last-minute promotion created tensions.”
Regarding the attack on the venue, he said, “An unfortunate incident took place on Tuesday, but no formal complaints have been filed. The police confirmed that no party has lodged a complaint either.”
When asked whether a women’s football tournament could be organized in the future, the UNO responded, “If an application is submitted, we will consider it.”
Women Footballers and Coaches React
The teams expected to play on Wednesday were the Rangatuli United Women’s Football Academy from Thakurgaon and the Pushkarini SC Club from Rangpur. The Thakurgaon team had already arrived in Joypurhat on Tuesday. However, following the attack, they left without playing.
Bithika Kisku, captain of the Thakurgaon team, said, “We arrived early, ready for the next day’s match. But after the incident, we returned home without even visiting the field.”
She added, “We’ve been playing since 2015 and have around 100 female footballers. Some of our players have represented the national team. We’ve played in many districts without any issues. What happened in Joypurhat is unprecedented and deeply concerning.”
Their club organizer, Tajul Islam, said, “We didn’t face any direct threats, but the incident itself is unacceptable. Our club has produced national-level players. The government must ensure such incidents do not occur again.”
The Rangpur-based Pushkarini SC Club had not yet arrived in Joypurhat. Their captain, Swapna Akter, said, “I have played for the national team, and this situation is completely new to us. We canceled our trip after learning about the attack on the venue. We never faced such obstacles before, either in our hometown or elsewhere.”
Coach Milon Mia of Pushkarini SC Club added, “For the past 12 years, our female footballers have been playing without issues. We have produced 10 national players, with one currently representing the country. Incidents like this can have a lasting psychological impact on players.”
He also mentioned, “A similar attempt to ban women’s football was made in Rangpur on August 5. The Palitola Stadium, a dedicated facility for female players, was attacked. However, the local community stood against the perpetrators, preventing them from succeeding.”
Bangladesh Football Federation’s Response
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has called on the authorities to take strict action against those responsible for halting the women’s match in Joypurhat. In a statement released on Wednesday, the BFF condemned the attack on the venue, stating, “Football is for everyone, and female footballers have every right to participate in the sport. Any attempt to obstruct women’s participation in sports goes against the progress of athletics.”
The statement further urged, “We request the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and take appropriate action. We also encourage local social organizations and influential individuals to support women’s participation in sports so that girls can freely engage in football and other athletic activities.”
Clashes Over Women’s Match in Dinajpur
In another incident on Tuesday, violence erupted in Hakimpur, Dinajpur, between event organizers and individuals opposing a women’s football match. At least 20 people were injured, including women.
A friendly match between the Dinajpur District Women’s Football Academy and the Rangpur Division Women’s Team was scheduled at the Bawna Student Welfare Cooperative Field. However, opposition groups, under the banner of “Tawhidi Janata,” used loudspeakers in surrounding villages to rally against the match.
When the match started at 3 p.m., opposition members attempted to disrupt it, leading to violent clashes. Several injured individuals received treatment at local hospitals.
These incidents highlight the ongoing struggle for women’s rights in sports and the need for stronger support from authorities to protect female athletes from discrimination and violence.
