A legend’s family in distress – Where do we hide this shame?

He was the highest-rated chess player in the country, the record holder for the most national championship titles, and the player who represented Bangladesh in the most Chess Olympiads. Above all, the late Ziaur Rahman was Bangladesh’s greatest chess player. Yet, just a few months after his passing in July, his family is now in financial distress. This tragic reality is enough to dissuade aspiring chess players from pursuing the game in this country.

Ziaur Rahman’s family is struggling to make ends meet. Their house rent remains unpaid, and so does the tuition for his son, Tahsin Tajwar Zia. Only they know how they are managing their daily meals. The harsh reality of Bangladesh’s sports sector has come to light with the posthumous suffering of this chess legend’s family.

Bangladesh might be the only country in the world where athletes are forced to knock on every door to receive financial aid for survival. This led the previous government to establish the Bangabandhu Krirashebi Kalyan Foundation, which provides allowances to financially distressed athletes. However, many athletes—both retired and active—have had to lobby and plead for these allowances, and allegations of mismanagement have surfaced, with officials siphoning funds under fictitious names. This is perhaps why Bangladesh is often called the "land of endless possibilities"—both positive and negative.

Returning to the main issue: the story of Ziaur Rahman’s family could have been written differently. His wife, Tasmin Rahman Labannya, passed the prestigious BCS exam and was offered a government job. But fearing it might disrupt her husband’s chess career, she chose to forego it. Tasmin was not just Ziaur Rahman’s life partner but also his unwavering supporter, handling tasks that professional managers usually do for athletes. From registering for tournaments and booking flights to accompanying him as a companion during international events, she made it her mission to ensure Ziaur could focus solely on chess.

Tasmin, an English graduate from Dhaka University, ranked 14th in the combined merit list of the 22nd BCS in 2002 and was the second-highest scorer among women. Many of her peers are now joint secretaries in the civil service. Had she pursued that career, perhaps her family would not be facing today’s hardships. But who knows, if she had taken that path, Ziaur Rahman’s illustrious chapter in Bangladeshi chess might have been far less remarkable.

Ziaur Rahman didn’t confine himself to playing the game; he also obtained a FIDE trainer license, essential for coaching chess internationally. This allowed him to coach players globally, beyond the borders of Bangladesh. Yet, the person who supported him tirelessly in his journey—Tasmin Rahman Labannya—now finds herself humiliated by unpaid rent and burdened with thoughts about her son’s education.

This isn’t a sudden revelation about the sports sector in Bangladesh—it’s the harsh truth. Apart from one or two disciplines, the story remains the same for most athletes. They compete while worrying about their mother’s prescriptions or their father’s debts. Even after achieving success, they receive some applause, but post-retirement, they struggle for basic necessities and chase after financial aid.

International Master Abu Sufian Shakil, a close acquaintance of Ziaur Rahman’s family, couldn’t hold back his emotions while describing their plight: "By all standards, Zia bhai was the best chess player in the country. His life revolved around chess. He had no savings; whatever he earned, he spent on his family. I never imagined Zia bhai’s family would face such a tough situation after his death." Shakil added, "After Zia bhai’s passing, many promises were made, and I hoped his family would be supported. But nothing has happened. This situation sends a negative message to budding chess players. If the family of the best chess player in the country faces such circumstances, why would anyone want to pursue this sport?"

Unlike others, Ziaur Rahman dedicated his life entirely to chess. While South Asia’s first Grandmaster, Niaz Morshed, and other players like Rifat Bin Sattar have pursued diverse interests, Ziaur Rahman’s sole focus was chess. This dedication led him to nurture his son, Tahsin Tajwar Zia, into a FIDE Master.

Ziaur Rahman passed away while playing the game he loved. On July 5, during the 12th round of the National Chess Championship at the Bangladesh Chess Federation, he was playing against another Grandmaster, Enamul Hossain. Midway through the match, Ziaur Rahman collapsed from his chair. Though he was rushed to the hospital, he had already passed away. True to his spirit, he left this world while playing chess, with his ever-supportive wife, Tasmin, by his side.

Ziaur Rahman’s journey began with his father, Paygam Uddin Ahmed, also a national-level chess player. Accompanying his father to chess events sowed the seeds of passion in young Ziaur. Before his death, he planted the same seeds in his son. However, the harsh realities faced by Tahsin’s family today raise concerns about his future.

Before concluding, let’s revisit Ziaur Rahman’s career highlights. Born in Dhaka on May 1, 1974, he began playing chess at the age of 10 under the mentorship of his father. He won his first National Championship at just 14, became an International Master in 1993, and a Grandmaster in 2002. Ziaur Rahman competed in four Chess World Cups (2007, 2011, 2013, and 2015).

Between 1988 and 2018, he won the National Chess Championship 14 times, a record among Bangladeshi male players. His closest competitor, Grandmaster Rifat Bin Sattar, won it six times. Representing Bangladesh in 15 Chess Olympiads, Ziaur Rahman etched his name in the country’s sports history as a legend.

Will the tragic plight of his family finally awaken those responsible for the welfare of our sports community? Only time will tell.