BFF women's camp like a prison, claims former captain Dalia

Dalia Akter, a former captain of Bangladesh women's football team, alleged that the women footballers are held hostage at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) dormitory.

She said this while addressing a rally in front of the football headquarters, attended by a number of former sports organisers. She, and other speakers at the protest, asked for the resignation of BFF president Kazi Salahuddin and BFF women's wing chairperson Mahfuza Akter Kiron.

"The third floor of the BFF building, where our girls are kept, is like a prison. They [players] are not allowed to speak, and no one knows what they are eating. One day, these girls will step out of that building and reveal the truth," Dalia said at the protest, which was organised under the banner of "Bangladesh women's football players and officials."

Dalia, who served as the captain of both Bangladesh women's football team and handball team in 2008, voiced her concern over the wellbeing of women footballers, who stay on the third floor of the federation house and train round the year.

"These girls are very young and are too scared to speak up. One girl simply questioned why they were repeatedly being served pangasius fish, and she was punished for it," Dalia said, questioning the repeated appointment of Amirul Islam Babu as the women's team's manager.

Former badminton star Kamrun Nahar Dana, a leading figure in the country's women's football in its early days, demanded the resignation of Salahuddin and Kiron.

"The football federation now seems to belong to Salahuddin and Kiron. He [Salahuddin] has never acted without self-interest. The BFF has been politicised, and corruption is rampant. Those who were elected as councilors are now in hiding. They have no place in our sports. We demand change for the greater good of football and hope that the BFF will be completely reorganised."