Ensure women footballers receive their dues

Our women's football team has won the SAFF Championship title for the second consecutive time. As they paraded in an open-top bus from the airport through the streets of the capital to the BFF office in Motijheel, the people of the city showered them with congratulations. Such success in sports has been rare for Bangladesh in recent years. They first won the SAFF Championship in 2022, and back then too, the girls celebrated in an open-top bus.

This news is undoubtedly joyous and a source of pride for the entire nation. However, there’s a news that might bring a frown to your face. According to reports published in the media last Thursday, the SAFF-winning girls have not received their salaries for two months. They triumphed over the hosts, Nepal, with a 2-1 victory at the Dasarath Stadium in Kathmandu. Sabina Khatun and her teammates have surpassed their male counterparts in the country’s football scene. Much of the success that the BFF boasts about in recent years is attributed solely to these women. Yet, these golden girls are not receiving the recognition they deserve. Their owed salaries have been pending for two months.

November has begun, yet Sabina Khatun and her teammates have not received their salaries for the past three months. Not only that, the match fees for four matches held in May and July are also still pending for the women’s team players. According to the previous contract, since September 1 of last year, team captain Sabina Khatun and 15 other players received a monthly salary of 50,000 taka. Ten players earned 30,000 taka, four received 20,000, and two were paid 18,000 taka each. In total, the salary for 31 footballers amounted to just over 1.1 million taka per month.

However, this amount increased starting in May of this year, during the tenure of the former president of BFF, Kazi Salahuddin. Complications began shortly after that. Initially, salaries were delayed, sometimes reaching the end of the month before being paid. But for the past two months, the players have not received any salary at all.

All the members of this women's football team come from rural and marginalized communities. They have all fought hard to establish their positions. On the football field, they are not just players; each one steps onto the pitch as a warrior. Some have lost their fathers, some have come with the last remnants of their mothers' support, and others have sold their sisters' jewelry to cover their expenses for the game. However, the state's contribution to their success has been minimal. They have not even received what they are entitled to as citizens from the state. Today, our officials take pride in the achievements of these girls and hold press conferences. But it is essential to remember that their contribution to this success has been very limited. Instead, they bear the burden of not being able to fulfill their responsibilities.

Meanwhile, while an open-top bus was arranged to celebrate the championship team, coach Peter Butler, who announced his resignation, did not join the bus ride. He stated that he still had three months of unpaid salary. However, he explained his absence from the bus by saying, "Let the girls enjoy. This is their time. I need to arrange tickets for England in Dhaka. I have a lot of work to do."

The reason behind Butler's sudden resignation, after leading the team to victory, remains unclear. There are suspicions that he faced external interference in team management. Furthermore, since taking on the role, he has encountered numerous challenges.

Although the women’s football team has brought success and honor to Bangladesh, they face significant neglect from society and the state. We demand that this neglect be addressed and that the women footballers receive the respect they deserve. Adequate financial support should be arranged for them. No female footballer should have to fall victim to child marriage due to lack of food, nor should anyone have to beg for a place to stay. What is their right should not be treated as charity.