‘Religious issue’ halts another girls' football match
Days after opposition from religious groups disrupted two women's football matches in northern Bangladesh, another inter-district girls' football game in Rangpur's Taraganj faced the same fate.
The local administration imposed Section 144 around the match venue today, following protests led by an Islami Andolon leader who opposed the event on religious grounds.
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The match between the Joypurhat Girls Football Team and Rajshahi Girls Football Team was scheduled to take place at 3:00pm at the Burirhat High School ground as part of an inter-district football tournament.
However, shortly before the match began, Ashraf Ali, president of Islami Andolon Bangladesh's Taraganj unit, publicly called for its cancellation, citing religious reasons.
He also announced a protest rally against the event, leading to a heated confrontation between the organisers and his activists, prompting local administration to intervene.
The cancellation marks a growing pattern of resistance against women's participation in sports, raising concerns about the future of such events in the region.
In response to the escalating situation, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rubel Rana convened an emergency meeting in the afternoon where the parties involving the dispute, local political leaders from Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP, and senior religious figures from Ittihadul Ulama took part.
Despite efforts to resolve the dispute, neither side agreed to compromise. Fearing a deterioration of law and order, the administration decided to impose Section 144, banning all public gatherings and activities at the venue.
"Considering the risk of unrest, we consulted the deputy commissioner and imposed Section 144 at the match venue around 4:00pm," said UNO Rubel Rana.
By the afternoon, security forces, including police and army personnel, were deployed around the venue. The women's teams, who had arrived at the venue to play, were forced to leave.
Speaking to the local journalists, Ashraf Ali, the Islami Andolon leader, justified his call for the match's cancellation, saying, "Our demand was simple: stop the match.
"As the administration has stopped the match, we have withdrawn our protest programmes," said Ashraf Ali.
Meanwhile, football organisers expressed their frustration.
Noyon Mia, one of the event organisers, lamented that the match was meant to bring joy to local football fans. But without understanding the spirit of the game, the Islamist leader forced its cancellation.
"The players have now left, and the venue remains under strict security," he said.
Every year, Burirhat High School hosts an inter-district football tournament with both men's and women's teams. However, this is the first time such an event has faced opposition from religious groups, raising concerns about future sports events in the region.
Earlier on January 28, two football matches, one in Hili in Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur and Akkelpur upazila of Joypurhat, were suspended after the venues in both areas came under attack by the religious groups.
However, with the intervention of local administrations, both matches were held on February 3 and 5, respectively in Hili and Akkelpur upazila.
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