Football fever reaches its peak every four years in Bangladesh during the FIFA World Cup, and nowhere is it more evident than on the streets of Dhaka city.
By waving flags of their favorite teams, hanging banners and festoons and drawing frescos, people express their love for the greatest show on Earth.
In this video, we roamed around some areas of the capital to take part in this football mania.
To know more about the colorful city watch Star Live’s video.
Social accountability seeks to enhance government services and ensure effective response to public needs. At the heart of this lies the belief that every citizen's voice matters. We envision a society where public services are effective, equitable, and transparent. Sacrificed lives of students demand government accountability, therefore, effectiveness of accountability models in Bangladesh should be scrutinised. The anti-discrimination student movement of 2024 personifies this. Emerging from profound frustration with authoritarian rule, the students escalated their efforts to call for a regime change when accountability remained elusive. Their hope was that no more lives would need to be lost in the quest for justice.
Social accountability extends beyond mere government oversight; absence of this breeds corruption, inefficiency, and inequality, eroding public trust and undermining the democratic processes. A system founded on accountability cultivates a culture of integrity and trust, essential for the legitimacy of any government. The experience of the students in the 2024 movement serves as a stark reminder that when government evades accountability, the populace suffers, resources are wasted, public services falter, and disenchantment proliferates. Without social accountability, public institutions also remain unchecked, allowing wasteful expenditures and unaddressed wants to fester.
Bangladesh has made notable strides in promoting social accountability through initiatives such as community monitoring, public hearings, social audits, and citizen report cards. These efforts empower ordinary citizens by providing platforms to raise concerns, seek solutions, and engage in decision-making processes. Successes such as Community Score Cards (CSCs) in health and education and the Right to Information (RTI) Act—allowing citizens to request information from public authorities—have been achieved. However, significant challenges still remain.
Despite initial promise, many social accountability initiatives remain underutilised. A key issue is the lack of public awareness; many citizens are unaware of their rights or the mechanisms at their disposal. Additionally, resistance from government officials and service providers, who may perceive these measures as inconvenient, complicate the landscape. Systemic issues in Bangladesh further exacerbate these challenges, weak institutional frameworks, inadequate funding, and complex power dynamics prevent social accountability models from realising their full potential. Unless these obstacles are addressed, the country's progress remains stunted.
It is evident that Bangladesh requires a more effective model for social accountability. Technology, education, and community engagement must take centre stage. The Institute of Informatics and Development (IID) presents an innovative example with the Citizen-Led Social Audit model. This approach enables citizens to assess public services and navigate a clear accountability pathway. By engaging stakeholders through town halls, sharing audit results, and continuously monitoring progress, this model offers a sustainable way forward.
The future of social accountability in Bangladesh hinges on fostering strong partnerships between government, civil society, and the private sector. Key factors for success include clear communication, mutual trust, and well-defined roles. Each partner must understand their responsibilities and receive the necessary training and resources to contribute effectively. By cultivating these partnerships, we can ensure that accountability efforts are not only implemented but also sustained.
We can no longer afford to wait for crises to catalyse change. A comprehensive new model of social accountability is required. Leveraging technology, education, and partnerships can pave the way for a more transparent and responsive governance system. The future of Bangladesh depends on this transformation. Social accountability is more than a tool, it is essential for democratic governance and sustainable development. While Bangladesh has made commendable progress, much work remains. The anti-discrimination student movement of 2024 serves as a powerful reminder that citizens will demand justice, often at great personal cost.
Muhammad Tanbirul Islam is a research associate at IID and the editor of the Policy Pulse.
Views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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Captain Nazmul Huda Faysal scored four goals as Bangladesh thrashed Macau 7-0 on Friday in Phnom Penh to stay alive in their AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign.
The boys in red and green, who had started their campaign with a 1-0 defeat against Cambodia before bouncing back with a single-goal win against Philippines, currently sit second on the five-team table.
Afghanistan lead the table with nine points from three matches followed by Bangladesh and Cambodia on six each, with the former leading due to superior goal-difference.
The charges of Saiful Bari Titu, who have been goal-shy all campaign, took the lead through Faysal on 40 minutes.
Bangladesh scored six more goals between 65 and 84 minutes, with Faysal adding three more while substitutes Mohammad Manik and Rifat Kazi adding one apiece. The other one was an own-goal.
Macau, the bottom-placed side, have now conceded 24 goals in four matches without having ever found the opposition net.
Bangladesh will take on favourites Afghanistan in their last group match on Sunday. The top teams from three groups will qualify directly for the main tournament while the best runners-up team will also join them.
Bangladesh will begin their title-defence of the SAFF Women's Championship against Pakistan today and will look to book a semifinal berth with a victory in Kathmandu.
The match will kick off at 5:45pm Bangladesh time at the Dashrath Stadium, the very venue where two years ago Bangladesh achieved their greatest success in women's football, lifting the trophy of the South Asian competition for the first time with a 3-1 win against hosts Nepal in the final.
On way to that famous triumph, Golam Rabbani Choton's charges had beaten every opposition that they came up against, including a 6-0 drubbing of Pakistan in the group stage.
That was, interestingly, the only occasion that these two teams met in the competition's past six-editions, with the only other meeting between the two sides coming at the 2010 South Asian Games, where Bangladesh had won 1-0 in Dhaka.
Sabina Khatun, Bangladesh's all-time top-scorer and inspirational captain, scored in both games – the only goal in the 2010 victory and a hattrick in the 6-0 win in 2022.
After watching Pakistan put up a fight against five-time champions India in the tournament's first match, which ended in a 5-2 win for India, Sabina believes this time Pakistan will be a much different proposition for them.
"This Pakistan team are much better than the last time. They tried to play toe-to-toe with India. It won't be easy. It will be a challenge for us," the Bangladesh skipper said following an hour-long training session in Kathmandu's St Xavier's Ground yesterday.
Sabina, the top-scorer of last edition, however said that their target is to ensure the semifinals with a victory in the first match.
"It won't be easy for any team to take the title home," the 30-year-old forward said. "Our target will be to get the opening goal and take the chances that we create."
Sabina feels the team will miss striker Sirat Jahan Swapna and defender Akhi Khatun -- two of their stars from the previous campaign, but it is an opportunity for others to step up.
Bangladesh coach Peter Butler believes his side are one of the best in terms of quality and that he would hope to see them do justice to the talent with a disciplined effort.
"I think technically we will be up there with the best. From a tactical and discipline point of view, I really hope we hone in on those qualities. This team has a lot to offer," the British coach opined.
Argentina went through to the last 16 of the 2018 Fifa World Cup by overcoming Nigeria 2-1 in a nerve-wracking tussle at the Saint Petersburg Stadium last night.
Defender Marcos Rojo hit the winner in the 86th minute after an early second-half penalty neutralised Lionel Messi's 14th-minute lead in a game where Argentina not only did everything in their power to avoid early elimination, but literally shed blood. When Rojo hit the winning goal, which can be best described as Toni Kroos moment, with a powerful low drive off a right cross from the flank, Javier Mascherano was still bleeding from a scraped cheek.
In another Group D match, Croatia defeated Iceland 2-1 to seal top spot in the group. They will face Denmark in the round of 16, who earlier in the day played out the Russia 2018's first goalless draw against France, Argentina's next opponents. Peru got their first World Cup win in 40 years as they handed a 2-0 defeat to Australia, but both teams were eliminated.
In Saint Petersburg, Mascherano was actually responsible for awarding Nigeria a penalty; he was holding Leon Balogun when Oghenekaro Etebo took the corner from the right flank. Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir retained his decision after consulting with the VAR (video assistant referee) and Victor Moses converted it, sending Franco Armani to the wrong end. The early second half Nigeria goal served as a real shockwave for the Argentina fans, who were actually celebrating Messi's goal in the 14th minute of the do-or-die encounter.
It was a brilliant through ball from midfielder Ever Banega. But still it needed the precision and extreme control of the world's best player to convert it to a goal. He made his run perfectly, took it on the thigh and then on his left foot before slipping away just enough from his marker. Messi then unleashed a shot with his weaker right foot into the far corner of the net. He also got the opportunity to double the lead in the 32nd minute from a free kick just outside the left-hand box. But his left-footed curler came off the post.
It was a game anybody could have won. But Argentina showed more tenacity and were eventually rewarded. Unlike the last two games, when Messi was less involved, he played the central role. He came down a bit to orchestrate the attack and the return of Banega provided the creativity that Argentina lacked against Croatia. Messi not only controlled the game; he was even seen playing the role of the manager when he had a brief meeting before coming out of the dugout in the second half.
The Saint Petersburg Stadium virtually turned into Buenos Aires moments after the referee blew the final whistle. The players were involved in an emotional huddle in the middle while Diego Maradona was wiping tears of joy in the stands amidst raucous noise. Argentina fans were singing and dancing in the stands even half an hour after the game was finished. With Croatia winning the other game 2-1 against Iceland, Argentina will now travel to Kazan to face France on June 30 in the round of 16.
Bangladesh made a dreadful start to their AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign with a 1-0 defeat against 10-man Cambodia in Phnom Penh on Saturday.
The hosts were down to 10 men following a dangerous tackle on Bangladesh forward Arham Islam in the 25 minute of the match. However, the charges of Saiful Bari Titu failed to make the numerical advantage count as they wasted a handful of opportunities, allowing the opposition to break them down from a counter-attack in the 85th minute of the match.
The Bangladesh team, who recently finished runners-up in the SAFF U-17 Championship, had countless opportunities to take the game by the scruff of the neck. They came close to breaking the deadlock on numerous occasions, but their individualistic display didn't translate into a team effort. There was also lack of imagination for the boys in red and green, whose countless corner kicks were thwarted easily by the Cambodians.
Bangladesh will play their second match on October 23 against Philippines, who thrashed Macau 7-0 in the first match of the group. Afghanistan are the other team in this group.
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