I’m writing this from India where, as the first Bangladeshi woman, I’m serving as an umpire on the field, on television screen and in the role of fourth umpire in the Women’s Cricket World Cup. At every step, I’ve tried to stay strong, and I’ve been receiving appreciation for it as well.
But I don’t see this just as a personal accomplishment rather, this achievement is the result of years of struggle by women in sports. Our women are now shining brightly in the field of sports. As a former cricketer and as a woman, I feel immense pride to see that. In recent years, women’s successes across different sports have been truly remarkable compared to the men’s.
A new chapter in history was written in 2018 at the cricket ground in Kuala Lumpur, our women won the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, defeating India, who had always been the champions before. Our girls lifted the trophy for the first time, something the men’s team has yet to achieve. In that sense, women brought the first major international trophy for Bangladesh cricket.
The football field, too, has been a ground for glory. Twice in a row, Bangladesh’s women were crowned South Asian champions in 2022 and again in 2024. This year, for the first time, they reached the final round of the Asian Cup while, the Under-20 team qualified for the AFC final round. The Under-16 girls have also reached the AFC final rounds twice. Two of our football stars, Sabina Khatun and Ritu Porna Chakma, have been crowned SAFF’s best players. I still vividly remember Ritu Porna’s winning goal against Nepal and her brace against Myanmar.
When Sabina Khatun and Ritu Porna Chakma were named sportspersons of the year at the Prothom Alo Sports Awards, it was a clear sign of women’s rising dominance in Bangladeshi sports. There’s more good news, this year 16-17 Bangladeshi women footballers, including Sabina and Ritu Porna, played in the Bhutan league.
In comparison, we must agree that the men’s team lags behind. They played the final round of the Asian Cup only once in 1980. This year, hopes of playing in the final round after 45 years were high with inclusion of expatriate players like Hamza Choudhury, but the dream ended early. The men last won the SAFF Championship back in 2003 and no one knows how long the wait will continue.
In March this year, our girls won their first-ever bronze at the Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship. In 2023 at the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Indonesia, Kamrun Nahar Koly finished eighth in the 10-metre air rifle event, Bangladesh’s highest-ever placement.
Just three months ago, the women’s Under-18 hockey team brought home bronze from the Asian Cup held in China. From team to individual sports, women are moving forward. Mabia Akhter’s tears after winning gold in weightlifting and swimmer Mahfuza Khatun’s double gold at the 2016 SA Games were iconic moments in women’s sports.
Even before independence, Lutfun Nessa Hoque, Zeenat Ahmed and Rowsahan Akhter from the then East Bengal had won gold in Pakistan Olympics. In 1968, Sufia Khatun became Pakistan’s fastest woman in Dhaka. Three sisters Kazi Zaheda, Kazi Nasima, and Kazi Shamima lit up the sports scene both befor and after the independence. In 1981, Kamrun Nahar won bronze in judo at the Asian Championships, first-ever international medal for Bangladesh women. Since then, that journey has only gathered speed over time. Chess legend Rani Hamid still plays at 82 while, table tennis icon Zobera Rahman Linu, had her name in the Guiness Book by becoming a 16-time national champion. They are our idols.
Yet, women are deprived of their due rights even today. They still have to fight against family and social barriers and sometimes even against federations. Sexual harassment and safety concerns are well-known issues. Compared to their achievements, women’s rewards remain meager. Even today, they face discrimination in many forms. Their lives are surrounded by various struggles with a lack of opportunities and facilities. The society also lacks faith in women’s abilities.
When the Bangladesh women’s cricket team began its journey in 2007, no one around us believed that Bangladeshi women could ever play cricket. So, our battle was not just confined to the field, we had to fight many struggles off the field as well. We had to endure countless comments from our families and society. Many people would ask, “What’s the point of women playing cricket?”
Back then, we weren’t even sure how viable was this sport as a career option. Eighteen years ago, when the national women’s cricket team was just starting out, our daily allowance was only 50 taka. We had to live in difficult conditions at the Dhanmondi Women’s Sports Complex and practise in smaller fields. There was a lack of facilities and there was no financial support either. We knew that our studies would suffer if we dedicated time to cricket still, we took the risk. We believed that one day, we would move forward and we truly did.
But even today, women’s salaries and match fees in cricket remain far lower compared to men. Recently, the daily allowance was finally made equal meaning if men receive 100 dollars women will also receive the same. Previously, women received only 50 to 75 dollars. In countries like India, New Zealand, and Australia, women players receive the same allowances and match fees as men, but in Bangladesh, this parity may not yet be possible due to a lack of sponsors.
Because of this shortage of sponsors, there are very few separate leagues or tournaments for women in different sports in Bangladesh. Despite success in football, there is no domestic tournament or calendar for women. In Dhaka, there has been no domestic tournament since the last league 17 months ago. Meanwhile, five tournaments are being organised for men. Even last year’s SAFF-winning team has not received the promised Tk 15 million (1.5 crore) prize money, and despite qualifying for the Asian Cup for the first time, the women received no financial rewards either. Our women have been deprived here as well.
The list of women’s deprivation is actually quite long. One of the starkest inequalities lies in the minimal representation of women among the coaching staff. In football, there is only one woman on the coaching staff, serving as an assistant coach. The physiotherapist is a woman too. Only recently was Salma Khatun appointed as a selector for the Bangladesh women’s cricket team. Meanwhile in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and India, most coaches and selectors are themselves former players. If female players don’t enter leadership or coaching roles after retirement, they will simply disappear. There’s scope for reforms in this area as well.
Marriage and motherhood remain major barriers for women in sports. Once married, staying in the team becomes difficult. In 2012, despite being one of the best players in the country, I was dropped from the national team after getting married. As a result, many female athletes are afraid to get married even today, fearing it will end their careers. Moreover, when a woman gives birth, she has to stay away from the game for at least a year and a half, and regaining fitness after that is tough.
Then, many women cannot return to sports because they have to stay home with their young children. I consider myself lucky that with my family’s support I returned to the game when my child was just three months old. But many talented women disappear due to marriage or motherhood. For men however this is never the case. A mother cannot stay away from her child for even a single day. After giving birth, many women have been denied the chance to return to sports by their families. As a result, we’ve lost numerous gifted female athletes.
Job insecurity is another major concern for women. Their performance may last from around age 16-17 to 30-35, but, continuing a career beyond that is difficult and employment opportunities after that are scarce too. In sports, income continues only as long as one plays. In cricket, the pay is relatively better; in football, moderate; in other sports, almost negligible. A few days ago at the Mirpur Swimming Complex, the Swimming Federation awarded prize money to the medalists of 34th National Swimming Championship for the first time. It was only 2,000 taka for gold, and a mere 500 taka for bronze to male and female both. Record-holders received 5,000 taka. With a budget of Tk 4.2 million (Tk 42 lakh), such token rewards of 500 taka for a bronze are nothing short of a mockery in this day!
In India, several organisations including the Railways are employing women athletes. In Sri Lanka, the Army and the Air Force have started recruiting women through sports quotas. In Bangladesh, a few institutions including the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, and the Ansar employ athletes, but in cricket, there are not many such opportunities except for the Ansar. As many teams including BJMC have been dissolved in the country, playing opportunities are reducing even further.
BKSP remains an excellent institution for athletes. Cricketer Marufa Akhter, who shone in the Women’s ODI World Cup, was discovered by a coach named Imtiaz Hossain Pilu in Khulna, and BKSP played a vital role in her development. But BKSP’s reach is limited in this country. Therefore, sports must be promoted at the school and college levels.
I grew up in Patgram area of Lalmonirhat, and played by taking the initiative of forming a school cricket team myself, which in result has brought me this far. We continue to move forward with the belief that generation, opportunities, and mindsets will change. Through sweat, hardship, and perseverance on the field, we have proved that we do have the talent and the potential. All we ask for is equal respect and opportunity.
* Sathira Jakir: Former cricketer, Bangladesh National Women’s Cricket Team; First Bangladeshi Woman Umpire at a World Cup.
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Women win 26 golds at SA Games
In many cases, the benchmark of sporting success for Bangladeshi athletes has long been the South Asian (SA) Games, formerly known as the SAAF Games. Between 1984 and 2025, over a span of 41 years and 13 editions, Bangladesh has won a total of 87 gold medals. Of these, 26 came through the efforts of women- 17 in individual events, seven in team events, and two in mixed events.
The most remarkable aspect of this achievement is that 22 out of these 26 golds were won in just the last three editions held over the past 15 years. This fact alone reflects the rapid progress and unstoppable rise of Bangladeshi women in the country’s sporting history.
In four consecutive editions held in 1984, 1985, 1987, and in 1989, Bangladesh’s women athletes returned home empty-handed. That changed in 1991, when Kazi Shahana Parvin made history in Colombo by winning gold in the Standard Rifle event in shooting. In 1993, during the Dhaka Games, she won another gold in the same event, this time in the team category alongside Farzana Hossain and Sabrina Sultana.
Although the women failed to secure gold in the 1995 Madras Games, they struck again in 1999 when Shahana, Sabrina, and Lovely Chowdhury together claimed team gold in the 50-metre Smallbore Sports Rifle Prone event. In 2004, Sharmin Akhter shone in the 10-metre Air Rifle event. The 2006 edition again brought no golds, but in 2010, women athletes claimed eight of Bangladesh’s 18 gold medals, six individual and two team golds. The national anthem played proudly for victories in shooting, karate, taekwondo, and archery.
In 2016, Bangladeshi women earned three of the country’s four golds, swimmer Mahfuza Khatun claimed two, while Mabia Akhter won another in weightlifting. Then in 2019, out of 19 gold medals, 11 were secured by women, six individual, three team, and two mixed. These triumphs came from karate, fencing, archery, and weightlifting.