Another girls’ football match cancelled

A girls' football match was cancelled in Rangpur's Taraganj upazila yesterday, just days after one was obstructed in Joypurhat.

The local administration had to impose section 144 around the venue, following protests led by an Islami Andolon leader who opposed the event citing religious grounds.

The match between Joypurhat girls and Rajshahi girls was scheduled to begin at 3:00pm at the Burirhat High School ground in Rangpur as part of an inter-district football tournament.

However, before the match began, Ashraf Ali, president of Islami Andolon Bangladesh's Taraganj unit, publicly called for its cancellation. He also announced a protest rally against the event, leading to a heated confrontation between the organisers and his followers, prompting the local administration to intervene.

The cancellation marks a growing pattern of resistance against women's participation in sports, raising concerns about the future of such events in the region.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rubel Rana convened an emergency meeting in the afternoon, in which the parties involved in the dispute; local leaders from Jamaat-e-Islami and the BNP; and senior religious figures from Ittihadul Ulama took part. Despite efforts, neither side agreed to compromise.

Fearing a deterioration of law and order, the administration decided to impose section 144, banning all public gatherings and activities at the venue.

"Considering the risk of unrest, we consulted the deputy commissioner and imposed section 144 at the venue around 4:00pm," said Rana.

By the afternoon, police and army personnel were deployed around the venue and the women's teams were forced to leave.

Speaking to journalists, Ashraf Ali justified his call for the match's cancellation, saying, "Our demand was simple: stop the match.

"As the administration has stopped the match, we have withdrawn our protest programmes."

Meanwhile, football organisers expressed their frustration.

Noyon Mia, one of the event organisers, said the match was meant to bring joy to local football fans. But without understanding the spirit of the game, the Islamist leader forced its cancellation.

Every year, Burirhat High School hosts an inter-district football tournament with both men's and women's teams. However, this was the first time the event faced obstruction from religious groups.

Earlier, two football matches, in Dinajpur's Hakimpur and Joypurhat's Akkelpur upazila, faced similar obstructions.

However, both those matches were held later with the intervention of the local administration.