BFF reiterates bonus promise to women’s team amid delays

Months after Bangladesh's women's football team lifted the SAFF Championship title, the promised bonus of Tk 1.5 crore from the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) remains unpaid. Similarly, senior team and the U-20 team, who recently advanced to the main round of AFC Asian Cup, have yet to receive any financial rewards for their achievement.

Following the BFF executive committee on Saturday at a resort in Dhaka, the federation once again pledged to fulfil its financial commitments to the women players. Executive committee member Amirul Islam Babu, also chairman of its media committee, reiterated the assurance, saying, "Whatever promises we made to the girls, we will deliver on them 100 percent. Right now, they are playing in the Bhutan league and have moved on to another competition from there. Once they return to the country, we will sit with them and ensure they receive all the rewards -- including those announced by other organisations -- Inshallah."

When pressed for a specific timeline, Babu replied, "Discussions are ongoing in our meetings. Hopefully, we'll hand over everything very soon."

BFF also revealed ongoing plans for the women's team, though details remain under wraps. "Our coach is currently abroad, and once both the coach and players return, we have several plans in place. A proposal has already been submitted and discussed in the meeting, but I'd prefer not to speak on it publicly yet," Babu said, adding that two international practice matches for the women's team have already been finalised and will be announced shortly.

Meanwhile, Babu informed that discussions were held regarding the referees' committee. A preliminary structure has been formed and will be disclosed within the next few days. The committee will be headed by one of BFF's vice-presidents.

The financial details of Bangladesh's matches against Bhutan and Singapore have yet to be published. However, Babu assured transparency, stating, "We've extended the deadline for separating the accounts of the Bhutan and Singapore matches until August 30. After that, all income and expenditure details will be made public."