Allowance increased from 3,000 to 20,000 for Swadhin Bangla football team's players
The legendary footballers who contributed to Bangladesh’s independence had been receiving a nominal allowance of 3,000 taka, which has now been increased to 20,000 taka after 22 years.
The monthly allowance for the surviving footballers of the Swadhin Bangla Football Team has been increased.
The legendary footballers, who played a crucial role in Bangladesh's independence through football, had been receiving a meagre sum of 3,000 taka per month.
This has now been raised by 17,000 taka to a total of 20,000 taka. The National Sports Council (NSC) announced the decision on Tuesday.
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For the past 22 years, the footballers of the Swadhin Bangla team had been receiving 3,000 taka each month. After a long wait, their allowance has finally been restructured. The decision was communicated through an official order signed by NSC Secretary Aminul Islam.
The Swadhin Bangla Football Team played a significant role in Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971. While many were engaged in direct combat, a group of young men formed a football team and played matches on Indian soil with the aim of contributing to the war effort.
Football was their weapon, and they made their mark through the sport. Players like Saidur Rahman Patel, Pratap Shankar Hajra, Zakaria Pintoo, Kazi Salahuddin, Enayetur Rahman, Biren Kumar Biru, Mujibur Rahman, Bimal Kar, Mohammad Kaikobad, and Nausheruzzaman were among those who took part in this historic initiative.
The primary objective of the Swadhin Bangla Football Team was to generate public support and gain international recognition for Bangladesh's cause. Soon after its formation, the team also began to raise funds. Playing 16 exhibition matches across various Indian states, including West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and Mumbai, the team received an overwhelming response.
In addition to garnering global attention, the footballers handed over the funds they raised from Indian supporters to the Bangladesh government-in-exile. They contributed a total of 16,33,000 taka to the Mukti Bahini fund.
Decades have passed, and Bangladesh is now independent. The footballers who joined the mission in late July 1971 to fight for their country's freedom through sport returned home to breathe in the air of a liberated nation. Fifty-five years have since gone by, yet many of them remain unfulfilled.
Apart from four players, the rest have never received official recognition or the Independence Award. Financial hardships have also persisted, with little support from authorities.
The monthly allowance they received was barely sufficient. At last, their allowance has been increased.
