‘This is the greatest league title of my career’

Against a backdrop of intense off-pitch turbulence and relentless on-pitch pressure, Bashundhara Kings stood resolute to conquer the Bangladesh Football League (BFL), sealing a historic “hexa” (sixth) crown. Navigating managerial upheaval and a depleted squad, club captain Topu Barman masterfully orchestrated this gritty march to glory. In an exclusive conversation with Daily Sun, the veteran defender unpacks the emotional weight of the campaign, the collective defiance of his team, and why this profoundly hard-fought championship eclipses all previous triumphs. Below are the excerpts:

Daily Sun: The Kings have tasted the victory of a “hexa” title this time. As the captain, how do you view this achievement?

Topu: Actually, it feels really good. Because Bashundhara have won six trophies in the last seven seasons. I think this is actually a massive achievement for the Kings. And along with that, the Federation Cup, the Independence Cup... we have been victorious in all of them, really. But among all those titles, the league is truly the main thing. So, after winning this title, I am incredibly happy, and as the captain, I want to thank the club officials, the players, and the coaching staff. It was only made possible through everyone's combined effort.

Daily Sun: Compared to the previous campaign, the team's situation was a bit unstable this time. All things considered, how would you evaluate this league victory?

Topu: No, actually, there were a lot of ups and downs in our team this time. Firstly, when we started the league, we were in a very good rhythm. We had 16 points from six matches, as it turned out. The teams below us were trailing by a distance of about 10, eight, or seven points—we had that kind of gap. Then... we lost points in three consecutive matches. After dropping those points, Fortis ended up on exactly level points with us. So, performance-wise, I would say that we had many ups and downs.

Then, coming into the second half of the league, we beat Fortis, creating a point difference again, and after that, they fell behind us. Truthfully, during this period, there were many problems within the organisation; our coach left, the trainer left, a few players left, and the foreigners didn't want to play either. We then played under our local coaches; they really tried their absolute best, and with everyone giving their all, we actually managed to bring the league title back at the end of the season. Really, it feels brilliant, and it happened through everyone's hard work and sacrifices.

Daily Sun: How different or special is this title to you compared to the previous five titles you have won?

Topu: The Kings have won six league titles. I have actually won five of them... I mean, I've won five out of the six as a player, and three as the captain. So, the thing is, I consider this season's title to be the very best. Because before this, we had many outstanding players in our squad. We had players like Robson and Miguel. They would always propel us forward during the season.

This season, however, we actually won through a completely collective effort, and what happened this time is that we finished the league with just one foreign player. So, in that regard, I think it was very tough, taking everything into account. There was a financial issue too. Furthermore, there was a lot of confusion. So in that case, I would say winning this league is the best for me. I've won six titles in total—one for Abahani and five for Bashundhara. Among the six titles, I will rank this one the highest; I will place it above all the rest.

Daily Sun: What is your analysis of the standard and experience of such an intensely competitive league?

Topu: Well, this time, not only Abahani, but Fortis and Police also built good teams. Mohammedan, the champions of the previous tournament, seemed to have done a bit worse this time, but they too played very competitive matches overall. So, if you want to look at it from that perspective, I would actually say that... it was very difficult; it was much more competitive than the previous leagues.

In the past, whenever the Kings won the league title, we had three or four matches in hand. I mean, we would dominate and have it decided that Kings were the champions with several matches to spare. But this time, it was a 50-50 chance right until the very last match. If we had drawn the match, we would have had to wait for the final fixture. And if Abahani had beaten us, Abahani would have won the league. So, this tension was really getting to us. But truthfully, at the end of the season, we managed to hold our nerve, and I think our performance was very, very good.

Daily Sun: What would you say about Dorielton's impact on the team's success?

Topu: Dori has been playing for Bashundhara for three seasons, and it's his fourth season in Bangladesh. Actually, we have developed a familial understanding with him. Such a bond has formed, meaning you could say that we have an exceptionally good understanding with him now. And he has already scored 18 goals in the league this season; altogether, he has maybe scored 28 goals already. Honestly, a solid number nine, a perfect number nine, I feel you can just look at Dori and understand that.

Truly, when matches were getting very difficult for us or heading into tight situations, Dori was always present. And especially when we were struggling in several matches, he showcased his skills. I can give an example of one match: our first league match against Fortis, where he scored a hat-trick. Then the final group stage match of our Federation Cup against Police, which got us through to the next round—the Kings scored four goals in that match, and all four were his. So indeed, he has won matches like these for us, making things much, much easier for us out there.

Daily Sun: What are the team's preparations and expectations regarding the Federation Cup final against Mohammedan?

Topu: I believe this final is in our grasp. Because we have successfully overcome the challenging matches we had in the league. Now, the Federation Cup is actually a major trophy. If we win this Federation Cup, we will be able to participate in the AFC Cup. And the Federation Cup is highly valuable. So, it seems to me that with the momentum we have, and the unity and performance we have shown, if we can do the exact same thing against Mohammedan, we will obviously win the treble this time. I believe this, and we all believe it.