Protests prompt cancellation of women’s football match in Bangladesh

"Football is for everyone, and women have full rights," Bangladesh Football Federation condemns protests.

Listen to article

A women’s football match in Joypurhat, Bangladesh, was canceled following protests by students from a religious school, which led to the vandalisation of the venue.

This marks the second such incident in as many days.

The match, scheduled for Wednesday between the district women's team and a team from Rangpur, was called off after protesters, mainly from a traditional religious school, marched to the venue and damaged facilities.

Samiul Hasan Emon, the tournament organiser, told AFP, "The Islamists in our area gathered in a field and marched toward the venue. There were hundreds of them. The situation worsened, and we had to cancel today’s event."

Abu Bakkar Siddique, headmaster of the religious school, confirmed his involvement in the protest, stating, "Girls' football is un-Islamic. It is our religious duty to stop anything that goes against our beliefs."

This incident follows a similar protest in Dinajpur on Tuesday, where a women’s football match was postponed just 30 minutes before it was scheduled to start. Moniruzzaman Zia, a teacher at the scene, said they had to quickly move the players to safety.

The protest in Dinajpur turned violent, with four people injured in clashes. All injured were later discharged from the hospital.

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) condemned the disruption, stating, "Football is for everyone, and women have full rights to participate in it," according to BFF media manager Sadman Sakib.

These events underscore ongoing tensions surrounding women’s participation in sports in Bangladesh and raise concerns over the influence of religious groups on cultural activities.