The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) on Sunday has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with United Commercial Bank (UCB), making it the official sponsor of the Bangladesh national football team. BFF President Tabith Awal stated that more expatriate players like Hamza Choudhury would be introduced to the national team in the coming days due to it.

"I first want to thank United Commercial Bank. Since its inception, UCB has been vocal in corporate social responsibility (CSR) by significantly contributing to sports and culture," said BFF President Tabith Awal before signing the five-year deal at UCB's head office in Gulshan today.

"We started with the UCB U-15 football tournament, and now we are expanding to the international stage because we are trying to popularise our football beyond national boundaries. We aim to introduce our local players to competitions beyond our domestic league and integrate more expatriate Bangladeshi footballers into the national team. In fact, we were able to bring in a player like Hamza Choudhury thanks to United Commercial Bank," Tabith added.

Tabith and UCB's Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Mohammad Mamdudur Rashid, signed the MOU on behalf of their respective organizations, while UCB Chairman Sharif Zahir was also present at the signing ceremony.

Although neither the BFF President nor the UCB Chairman disclosed the financial details of the agreement, it has been learned that UCB is likely to cover 30 percent of the national football team's expenses. The team also has a separate kit sponsor.

"This is a five-year journey. The popularity of football in the country has declined but not disappeared entirely, and that serves as our inspiration to revive it. Cricket has developed significantly, and we aim to elevate football to that level because it once enjoyed immense popularity across the country," said Rashid. "If this were a six-month or one-year contract, we wouldn't be able to dream of long-term progress. However, with a long-term agreement, we can work together over the next five years and set ambitious goals."

UCB Chairman Sharif Zahir expressed his hopes for Bangladesh's football team to improve in FIFA and AFC rankings while also focusing on youth development to strengthen the country's international presence.

"When Tabith approached us for this partnership, we discussed it with the entire board. We are delighted to be involved in sports for the past 40 years because we value both sports and the people of this country. We felt this was the right time to sponsor football, a globally popular sport. Given our climate and other conditions, there is no reason why football should not become the most popular sport in Bangladesh. We want to see the national team achieve a better ranking in world football," said Zahir.

Tabith echoed similar sentiments, emphasising the collaborative nature of the agreement.

"This is a partnership, not just a sponsorship, because both parties share responsibilities, and we are accountable to UCB. We will make decisions together regarding the direction of the national team. Our ultimate goal is to ensure consistent performance from the Bangladesh national football team, and we want to emphasise this area," said Tabith.