The Bangladesh Football Federation on Saturday recommended the government to award the Swadhinota Award, the highest civilian award of the country, to the Swadhin Bangla football team.
The recommendation came 42 years after the players inspired the freedom fighters through football during the liberation war. The BFF will select the team as their nominee for the award after it received a formal request from the government.
The members of the Swadhin Bangla football team often expressed their disappointment regarding not being selected for the Swadhinota Award, despite their efforts having a massive impact on the liberation war.
Some players, however, were individually recognised for their contribution.
Zakaria Pintu, captain of the Swadhin Bangla football team and Kazi Salahuddin, team member and president of the BFF, received the Swadhinota Award as an individual in the past.
‘It has been a long-time desire for us,’ Mohammed Kaykobad, member of the Swadhin Bangla tootball team, told New Age.
‘We participated in the Swadhin Bangla football team to increase international support in favour of the liberation war but the government has not recognised our contribution so far,’ he bemoaned.
-With New Age input
