Decaying football in Bangladesh
Much more spectators enjoyed a Dhaka First Division Football League match even between two mediocre teams like Wari AC and East End Club in the sixties, the seventies and the eighties than those watching the Bangladesh League match involving top teams like Abahani Limited and Mohammedan Sporting Club today.
Newspaper in those days gave wide coverage from players’ transfer window to the match proceedings. We eagerly waited for newspaper to read the sport news the next day and discussed among ourselves, which the present generation does not do.
It is widely believed that infiltration of politics in sports has damaged the prospect of football in our country. Bangladesh League has become a political sports competition, continues for about a year and then flops in respect of crowds’ presence in the stadium.
In fact, the Dhaka First Division Football League was much more attractive, thrilling, striking and sporting than today’s Bangladesh League. Almost every match in the eighties drew huge crowds in the Dhaka Stadium, whereas the said stadium looks like a desert today.
We think that the return of the Dhaka Senior Division Football League and separation of football federation from politics can bring back lost glory.
Rashid Khan
Dhaka
