Bangladesh women's football team are gearing up for the AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifiers, with preparations set to begin on April 6. The qualifiers will take place from June 23 to July 5, marking a historic opportunity for Bangladesh to compete on Asia's biggest stage for the first time.

A revamped format for the tournament's 21st edition has opened the door for their long-awaited debut. A total of 34 nations, divided into eight groups, will battle for eight spots in the 12-team final round, set to be held in Australia in 2026.

The draw for the qualifying round is scheduled for March 27, with matches to be played across eight host nations -- Vietnam, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, Jordan, Indonesia, Cambodia and Tajikistan.

Placed in the third pot, Bangladesh will likely face some of Asia's strongest sides such as Philippines, Chinese Taipei, and Iran.
To stand a chance, the women in red and green will need rigorous training and a unified squad, putting past disputes between senior players and the coach behind them.

Head coach Peter Butler, who is returning to Dhaka from England on April 6, had a bitter experience in the last training camp. Eighteen senior players refused to train under the British coach, citing various concerns, which led to the formation of a probe committee to resolve the issue.

Bangladesh Football Federation's women's committee chairman, Mahfuza Akter Kiran, informed yesterday: "We have called up nearly 50 players, including 18 who weren't part of the squad for our last two FIFA friendlies against the United Arab Emirates, as well as U-20 players.

"This is because we have two major commitments coming up -- the AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifiers and the SAFF U-20 Women's Championship [from July 1 to 11]."

Before departing for Dubai for two matches with a squad of junior players, those 18 senior players were released from camp with instructions to rejoin after the Eid break.

Asked about the situation, Kiran remained optimistic. "We haven't spoken to Peter yet, but we're hopeful that everything will be fine. Let's get the camp started."