Bangladesh Cancels Women’s Football Match Amid Islamist Protests for Second Day"

DHAKA — A women’s football match in Joypurhat, Bangladesh, was called off yesterday after Islamist hardliners protested, marking the second consecutive day of disruptions.

Organizers had planned a friendly match between local teams from Joypurhat and Rangpur, but protests by hundreds of Islamists forced the cancellation. Samiul Hasan Emon, the event organizer, described how demonstrators marched toward the venue, escalating tensions.

Abu Bakkar Siddique, headmaster of a nearby madrassa, joined the protest, calling girls' football “un-Islamic” and stating it was their religious duty to stop it.

The previous day, a similar protest in Dinajpur led to the postponement of another match, with reports of clashes between protesters and counter-demonstrators. Four people were injured in the violence but have since been discharged from the hospital.

The Bangladesh Football Federation condemned the protests, affirming that football is for everyone, and women have every right to participate.

The rise of Islamist groups, once marginalized under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, has fueled increasing tensions over cultural issues in the country.