Organizers have abruptly called off a women's exhibition football match scheduled for Monday afternoon at the Dirai Upazila Stadium in Sunamganj, following intense opposition and protests from a local faction objecting to the event.
The friendly fixture was set to kick off at 4:30 pm on Monday, featuring a match between the local Swapnachura Sporting Club and Sylhet's Zara Sporting Club. Rakib Ahmed Bhuiyan, president and coach of the organizing Swapnachura Sporting Club, stated that he had formally notified the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) about the sporting event five days prior to the match.
Complications arose late Sunday night when visiting officials and players from the Sylhet team had already arrived in Dirai. Organizers learned that a group of local individuals had visited the UNO office demanding the cancellation of the match, subsequently circulating a video regarding the protest on social media. Addressing the mounting pressure, UNO Sanjib Sarkar advised the organizers on Monday morning that because both dissenting factions reside in Dirai, the match should either proceed through mutual compromise and discussion or face suspension.
A delegation led by Maulana Sharif Uddin, a resident of the Chandipur area under the Dirai municipality, met with UNO Sanjib Sarkar on Sunday night to demand the cancellation of what they termed "obscenity" under the guise of sports, later posting a video statement outside the office. The group reiterated their demands by returning to the UNO office on Monday morning. Speaking by phone, Sharif Uddin, who identified himself as the president of the Dirai Islam-Birodhi Karkalap Protodh committee, claimed they initially understood adolescent girls would play, but later learned through public loudspeaker announcements that adult women's football was being organized. Expressing opposition to women performing on the field, Uddin maintained that while they do not oppose sports generally, they reject obscenity, despite being informed that women's football matches have been hosted at the venue since 2019.
Following consultations with the police on Monday afternoon, organizers were instructed to suspend the fixture, forcing the cancellation. Expressing utter astonishment at the sudden backlash, Bhuiyan noted that the Swapnachura Sporting Club, established in 2019, comprises local adolescent girls who have previously hosted teams from seven districts in Dirai and successfully competed across Dhaka and other regions nationally.
Clarifying the administration's stance, UNO Sanjib Sarkar stated that while initial permission was sought four to five days prior for a match featuring adolescent girls, subsequent complications arose regarding event sponsorships and opposition from a local faction. The administration merely advised a negotiated settlement between local residents, leaving the final decision to suspend the match to the organizers themselves.
