A women’s football match in Joypurhat, Bangladesh, was canceled following protests by students from a religious school, which led to the vandalization of the venue. This marks the second such incident in just two days, highlighting growing tensions around women’s participation in sports.
The match, scheduled between the district women’s team and a team from Rangpur, was abruptly called off after a large group of protesters, mostly from a local religious school, marched to the venue and caused damage to the facilities. Samiul Hasan Emon, the tournament organizer, confirmed the situation, saying that the protestors numbered in the hundreds and that the event had to be canceled for safety reasons.
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Abu Bakkar Siddique, the headmaster of the religious school, justified the protest, stating that girls’ football is “un-Islamic” and it was their religious duty to prevent such activities. This protest follows a similar incident in Dinajpur on Tuesday, where a women’s football match was delayed just minutes before it was set to begin. The situation in Dinajpur escalated into violence, leaving four people injured before calm was restored.
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) condemned the protests, affirming that football is a sport for all, and women have the right to participate. These incidents have raised concerns over the influence of religious groups on cultural activities in Bangladesh and their impact on women’s rights.
