BFF gives in to female footballers' salary demand

Bangladesh Football Federation agreed to increase the salaries of the women's national team by bringing 31 players under contract for next sixth months while raising their salaries.

A contract signing ceremony in this regard was held at the BFF House in presence of BFF president Kazi Salahuddin and women's team captain Sabina Khatun.  

Although the amounts and the details of the contract were not revealed, it has been learnt that 15 players will get Tk 50,000 each, 10 players will receive Tk 30,000 each and six players will get Tk 20,000 each per month.

Currently the BFF dormitory houses around 70 female players in total – ranging from age-group to senior women's team. The players get a monthly salary of around 10,000 on average – based on their performance and seniority. Reportedly, senior team captain Sabina Khatun draws a maximum of Tk 20,000 while the lowest amount is Tk 5,000.

The players have staged a number of protests and refrained from training a few times in recent months in demand for an increase of salaries and other benefits, including food, accommodation and sports kits. They had also met the BFF high-ups a few times, demanding a monthly salary of Tk 50,000 but they failed to see their demands met.

Some of the players had also participated in a local football tournament recently in Satkhira, outside the jurisdiction of the game's governing body as the relationship between the players and the federation became strained.

It is hoped both parties will respect the contract, leading to a peaceful resolution to the unrest that rocked women's football in the last six months.