Ex-national footballer Golam Rabbani no more

Former national footballer, Football Federation member and Dhaka Abahani director Golam Rabbani Helal, passed away around Saturday noon, reports UNB.

The 67-year-old was on life support at Square Hospital since last Thursday where he was admitted after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

He left behind his wife, two daughters and a large number of admirers to mourn his death.

In the morning, his pulse was going down gradually and the medication was not working.

Physicians tried to remove the blood clot in his brain but failed.

Helal had been suffering from kidney disease and undergoing dialysis for the last year.

He also underwent an open-heart surgery after a cardiac arrest in April, 2017.

His Namaz-e-Janaza is scheduled to be held after Asr prayers at his favourite Abahani Club ground before his burial at the Azimpur graveyard.

Helal played for the national team from 1979 to 1985.

At the club level, he played for Dhaka Abahani regularly from 1975 to 1988 and had a short stint with BJMC.

He also played for Bangladesh team in the Asian Youth Football in Dhaka in 1978.

He was one of four national footballers sent to jail along with three Abahani players - Salahuddin, Chunnu and Anwar - following a Dhaka derby clash with traditional rivals Mohammedan SC in 1982.

After retiring from football, Helal become the director of Dhaka Abahani and served the club in different capacities.

Helal also served Bangladesh Football Federation as an executive committee member from 2008.

Meanwhile, BFF president Kazi Salahuddin and other officials and staff expressed their condolences at the passing away of the former national booter.