Mohammad Ali Sattar

It is with great pride that we salute the little soccer girls who emerged champions in the group qualifiers of the AFC Under-16 Women’s Championship 2017. The contest just finished in Dhaka.
They have beaten other teams most convincingly and in a comprehensive manner. The scoring ability of these girls was amazing. It has been a wonderful performance and something to feel great about.
It must be mentioned forcefully that our boys are no more in the circuit of praise or performance. Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) with its men’s football program, a long but ever changing wish list, piece meal arrangements, controversial actions etc., has cut a sorry figure. Bangladesh football is nowhere near the Asian standard, let alone world standards.
Amidst this frustrating situation, our tiny girls, coming up from remote areas of the country, proved their talent and commitment. They gave back much more than we expected. They proved that raw talents can deliver. The coach of the team is extra lucky to have got this bunch of young ladies who gave their hearts out for the country.
Now after all these achievements, when we learn that these nine girls had to face uncalled for situation when travelling by a public bus from Dhaka to their destination in Kalsindhur village in Mymensingh’s Dhobaura Upazila, comes as a rude shock.
The report of their ordeal was carried by a local TV channel last Tuesday. It reported that these members of the girl’s team had to travel by a local bus without any guardian or guide from BFF.
The TV pictures show that the bus they were travelling in had standing passengers in it and looked like any other town service transports. One of the girls told the TV correspondent that they were also ill treated by co passengers using abusive language.
The BFF spokesman had cleared their standings. The spokesperson said that BFF had offered the girls air-conditioned microbus to drop them to their destinations. But the girls preferred to travel on their own in busses.
Even if the girls preferred to take their own means of travel, they shouldn’t been meted out the ill treatment by the members of the public. I don’t know what exactly were hurled at them, but I am not surprised and can presume what the situation was like. Because we see it almost every day in the streets, markets and public transports. We know how nasty we can get to each other, especially when it comes to eve teasing or making nasty postures to women in public places.
One more time let us realize the truth that we are far from being a civilized race. As our men’s football is nowhere near any standards outside Bangladesh, we, as a nation is outside all norms and values of civilization. Shame on us!

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