From football pitch to the Speaker’s chair: The Story of Hafizuddin Ahmed

On 27 June 1970, The Pakistan Observer described a young Bengali footballer in words that captured both admiration and awe, “The most penetrating and thrusty of the wingers in the country.”

“On receiving the ball he likes to dodge a player or two, sprint and fire a volley into the net,” the report continued.

That footballer was Hafizuddin Ahmed, a man whose life would later bridge football, war, and politics in ways few could imagine. He became a hero of the Bangladesh Liberation War, was awarded the gallantry title Bir Bikrom, and decades later, ascended to the position of Speaker of the national parliament of Bangladesh on 12 March 2026.

Yet, even as he reached the pinnacle of political power, Hafizuddin has often said that the moment that defined his life came long before politics—in 1971, when he revolted against the Pakistan Army and joined the liberation struggle. He was injured during the fierce Battle of Kamalpur, and feted t with the Bir Bikrom award.

But there was another identity he cherished just as much: the footballer. In interviews, Hafizuddin lamented that the younger generation has largely forgotten the electrifying winger who once lit up Dhaka Stadiums. Here are some tidbits on his sporting career:

Hafizuddin Ahmed was a rare Bengali who consistently featured for the Pakistan national football team from 1967 to 1970. While other Bengali players might get a chance in one tournament but not the next, he was a regular—and occasionally the team captain.

He even led the national side in its last pre-war match, a responsibility few could have imagined for a Bengali in Pakistan’s team at the time.

Hafizuddin was not just a winger; he was one of East Pakistan’s fastest athletes. His speed on the football pitch inspired friends to push him toward athletics.

“When Hafiz ran with the ball he was so fast that it gave his friends another idea. They suggested that Hafiz try sprints. In the provincial athletics meet of 1964, a completely unknown Hafiz upset all calculations and won the 200 meters run,” reported The Pakistan Observer.

He was part of the East Pakistan athletics team from 1964 to 1966, winning the 100 metres title in 1965 and equalling the provincial record in the 200 metres in 1966, added the report

Yet despite his form and credentials, Hafizuddin was overlooked for the first Bangladesh national football team squad in the 1973 Merdeka Tournament.

In media interviews later he rued not getting chance in the tournament although he had scored seven goals in two league matches when the squad was announced.

He believed politics played a role. His father, Azhar Uddin Ahmed, a three-time member of parliament from the Awami League, later became vice president of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, a party opposed to the Awami League. Hafizuddin also alleged that Sheikh Kamal, son of then-President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was behind his exclusion.

Despite being in pinnacle of form, not getting chance in Bangladesh team after the independence hit him hard. He never got to play for Bangladesh.

One of Hafizuddin’s most memorable performances came in the Dhaka League football, in a match between Mohammedan Sporting Club Dhaka and the Fire Service team.

In an interview with Prothom Alo in 2020, he recalled that even before kickoff several Fire Service players appealed to him, “Hafiz bhai, please don’t score too many goals today.”

Hafizuddin had actually begun his Dhaka football career with Fire Service in 1962, playing there until 1965. After two seasons with Wanderers Club Dhaka, he joined Mohammedan in 1968 and played there until 1978.
But that day he delivered an unforgettable performance—scoring six goals in a single match, the first double hat-trick in the Dhaka League after independence.

Recalling the match, he said, “After entering the field that day I casually scored two goals. I thought perhaps I could complete a hat-trick. The hat-trick happened. Then their fullback Dulal told me, ‘Hafiz bhai, you’ve already scored a hat-trick—what more do you want? Please don’t come near our box anymore.’”

Despite that plea, he went on to score six goals.

With Mohammedan, Hafizuddin celebrated multiple domestic triumphs: Dhaka League titles in 1969, 1975, 1976, and 1978, and the Aga Khan Gold Cup in 1968.

He captained the team in 1976, scoring seven goals in ten Dhaka derby matches against Abahani Limited Dhaka, a fierce rivalry that defined Dhaka football.

In 2004, Hafizuddin Ahmed received one of football’s rarest honours—the FIFA Order of Merit, joining legends like Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer, alongside iconic clubs such as Real Madrid CF and Sheffield FC.