BFF accords reception to Swadhin Bangla Football Team

To mark the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's Independence, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) today accorded a reception to Swadhin Bangla Football Team in presence of 14 footballers and two officials of that team that played a tremendous role to create public opinion and raise fund beyond the boundary during the war of independence.

The team's captain Jakaria Pintu, vice-captain Protap Shankar Hazra, Sheikh Ashraf Ali, Mohammad Kaikobad, Kazi Sahaluddin, Bimal Kar, Subash Chandra Saha, Fazle Sadain Khokon, Aminul Islam Suruz, Abdul Momin Joarder, Abdus Sattar, Mojibor Rahman, Mozzamel Haque, Biren Das Biru, team manager Tanvir Mazharul Islam Tanna and organiser Saidur Rahman Patel attended the reception where they were with flowers by BFF officials and with crests handed over by Zahid Ahsan Russel, the state minister for youth and sports.

Legendary footballer Enayetur Rahman Khan, who recently returned to Dhaka from Canada after 27 years, however did not attend the reception held at the conference room of the BFF House.

"During the war of independence, the Swadhin Bangla Football Team played a tremendous role in creating public opinion internationally and raised huge amount of funds to help the freedom fighters. We also had to aware the Indian people in some places about why we were fighting against Pakistan as we played 17 matches in different states of India," said team manager Tanna.

He also added that the team played against different Indian opponents who had assumed pseudonyms following the FIFA suspension of Nodia district football team, which played the first match against the Swadhin Bangla Football Team.

Saidur Rahman Patel, one of the first four organisers, said that they formed the team with the approval from Tajuddin Ahmed, prime minister in Bangladesh's government-in-exile in 1971 – who also handed over us 14,000 Indian rupees, and that then they assembled footballers with Sheikh Ashraf Ali joining first at Carnally Mansion in Kolkata.

"Footballers started assembling in Kolkata after the announcement about Sawdhin Bangla Football Team from the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra and many players including married footballers came to Kolkata to join the team. Even family members of the team had to face torture for this," Patel said, adding that the team raised 16.33 lakh rupees and donated it to the Muktijoddha fund.

Kazi Salahuddin, the current president of BFF, expressed his satisfaction at being able to bring some of the players of that fabled team under one roof.

"It is my pleasure to bring the proud members of the Swadhin Bangla Football Team because it is my responsibility to present them before you (media)," Salahuddin said. "We were like Rohingya in Kolkata during the liberation war and I recall those memories whenever I see Rohingyas in Bangladesh."