This time, Sabina and Masura cried in humiliation. “The matter is about self-respect”—saying just this much, Sabina Khatun lowered her head, unable to hold back her tears. Standing behind her, Masura Parvin wiped her eyes repeatedly as she spoke. Struggling to hold back her choked-up emotions, she said, “We actually just wanted to stay with football. If that’s a problem for you, we will leave.”
This time, Sabina: Sabina, Masura, and Rituparna have cried before as well. They shed tears of joy while bringing home the SAFF Championship twice for the country. Back then, the people of the country cried with them in celebration. These girls had shown a nation, accustomed to occasional sporting success, what consistent triumph felt like.
But today, in the dim evening light beneath the BFF building, they cried again. No, these tears were not of joy, nor were they from winning a trophy. Their tears were of humiliation, of wounded dignity. The weight of that insult was so unbearable that they did not hesitate to express their willingness to leave football if necessary.
But what was the insult? Before diving into the complaints raised on Thursday evening, let’s take a step back.
Back in October, when the Bangladesh women’s football team was in Nepal on a mission to defend their SAFF Championship title, midfielder Monika Chakma dropped a bombshell. In an interview with Prothom Alo, she revealed that coach Peter Butler did not favor senior players. This statement stirred controversy during the tournament.
A Standoff: Play Without Butler or Retire?
After Bangladesh successfully defended their title, Butler himself stated that he no longer wished to work with the women’s team. However, despite the evident discomfort and dissatisfaction from both sides, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) decided to retain Butler as the head coach.
This decision has since ignited a storm in the country’s football scene. Since Wednesday, reports emerged that the players had staged a ‘rebellion’ in protest of Butler’s two-year contract extension. Meanwhile, BFF remained firm in its stance, making it clear: “There will be no negotiations.”
Naturally, the female footballers could not accept such authoritarian behavior. Earlier today, they announced that they would formally notify BFF of their stance through a letter in the evening. However, they did not confine their grievances to just a letter.
After Maghrib prayers, Sabina, Masura, and their teammates gathered outside the BFF building to speak about the humiliation and injustice they had faced. As they spoke, emotions overwhelmed them repeatedly. They detailed the various ways in which they had been humiliated by Butler, the very coach under whom they had brought home back-to-back South Asian championship titles.
Fighters on the Field, Unyielding in Dignity. These women, who fought hard on the field to bring honor to their country, refused to compromise when it came to their own self-respect.
When asked what they would do if the coach was not removed, Sabina, holding back her tears and emotions, made her stance clear: “We will leave, with our dignity intact, while showing respect to the coach.”
Expressing her discomfort with Butler, she further added: “There is nothing to prove here. Not everything can be explained in words. If we are raising concerns, it means something is wrong. We do not feel comfortable in this environment.”
After winning the title for the second time in Nepal, BFF firmly decided to retain Butler as head coach. However, according to Sabina, the team has reached a stage over the past 10 years where almost anyone in the dugout could lead them to success.
“The biggest credit for where the team is today goes to the federation. They have kept the team together for 10 years, which is why the players’ performance has reached this level. I can confidently say that in South Asia, no matter who you place in the dugout, the girls will deliver results for the country.”
After the coaching controversy surfaced, the female players became targets of attacks on social media. Calling the situation unfortunate, Sabina said:
“We don’t know if we deserve what is being said about us on social media. But still, the people of this country come first. If they think we are forming a syndicate or ruining the country’s football, then we will do whatever they want for the sake of the people. We have a football federation president, and we want to sit with him. We don’t want this issue to cause such an uproar.”
Following this, the players began voicing their complaints against the coach one by one. Masura and Rituparna brought forward several allegations, including:
Two-time SAFF Best Goalkeeper Rupna Chakma being mocked for her height,
Interference in the players’ personal lives, A player being excluded from the team simply for wearing a cap while eating.
Expressing her concerns about the coach, Masura said: “We have spoken about this coach many times, but no action was taken. When they signed a contract with him, did they not think even once about why we were raising these concerns? What exactly is our problem? We will continue to play, but only those who are hurt understand the depth of that pain. You won’t understand.”
A football team is essentially a family, where the coach plays the role of a guardian. So why was he retained despite so many complaints and objections? Expressing how painful the situation is, midfielder Sanjida Akter said:
“Think about your own family. If you don’t have peace of mind in your own home, how would you feel? Would you be able to work properly? The same thing is happening to us. We are not at peace mentally, so how can we give 100% on the field?”
Now, the question remains—will anyone step up to restore the mental peace of the country’s top footballers?
