Women's Football Declared 'Anti-Islamic' and Match Disrupted, Concerns Over Safety of Female Footballers in Bangladesh

Women's Football Declared 'Anti-Islamic' and Match Disrupted, Concerns Over Safety of Female Footballers in Bangladesh

In the northwestern district of Joypurhat, Bangladesh, a women’s football match was canceled due to protests by students from a local religious school. This marks the second incident in a single day where religious protesters disrupted football matches.

The match was supposed to be held on Wednesday, featuring women’s football teams from Joypurhat and Rangpur. However, local organizers reported that Islamic students, who follow a particular religious ideology, marched toward the field and carried out widespread vandalism.

Tournament organizer Samiul Hasan explained, "An Islamic group gathered in the area and approached the field in large numbers, exceeding a hundred. The situation escalated, so we had to cancel today's event."

Abu Bakr Siddique, the headmaster of a religious school, stated, "Women's football is against Islam. It is our religious duty to prevent anything that goes against our beliefs."

This incident follows a similar protest in Dinajpur on Tuesday, where another women's football match was also canceled due to religious opposition. Local teacher Moniruzzaman Zia reported, "The match was called off half an hour before it was set to begin. We quickly moved the girls to a safe place."

Local authorities reported clashes between the protesters and those resisting them, with four individuals injured. However, they are all now reported to be safe.

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) strongly condemned the events of Wednesday. BFF Media Manager Sadman Sakib issued a statement, saying, "Football is for everyone, and women have the full right to participate in it."

This incident has sparked a new debate within Bangladesh’s sports community about the participation of women in sports and religious protests.