Jersey in every home: Aminul Haque

State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque wants the Bangladesh national football team’s new jersey to reach every home as the country prepares for another push for success on the international stage.

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) officially unveiled the national team’s new home and away kits on Tuesday after a long wait.

Aminul presented the jerseys at the National Sports Council (NSC) alongside BFF President Tabith Awal and Abid Alam Chowdhury, owner of kit partner ‘Dour’.

The official jersey is priced at Tk1,600 and will be available at Infinity stores. A more affordable fan edition, priced between Tk700 and Tk800, is planned subject to BFF approval.

Under its current two-year agreement with the federation, Dour sold nearly 20,000 jerseys over the past year, generating regular royalties for the BFF.

Aminul, a former national captain, reflected on how much football has changed since his playing days.

“When we played, we simply bought local jerseys before taking the pitch. There was no branding. Today, we are promoting the Bangladesh jersey to 180 countries, taking it to a completely different level,” he said.

He urged corporate houses to follow Dour’s example by investing in sports and backed the national team to make an impact in the upcoming SAFF Championship.

“Football has a huge craze among Gen Z. We wait for that desired success. I hope we can give our maximum on home soil and win, recalling our 2003 SAFF and 2010 SAFF Games triumphs,” Aminul said.

The state minister also called on the BFF to engage Bangladeshi expatriates in the Middle East and Malaysia by organising matches for them.

“They send remittances and love the sport. Bringing them into our football culture will take this jersey launch a step further,” he said.

Aminul also thanked the Prime Minister for approving land in Cox’s Bazar for the BFF at a token price.

He said the government had proposed Tk1,244 crore in seed funding for 41 federations, including Tk50 crore for football and allocations for hockey, to help sports bodies become financially self-sufficient.

“Due to the current fuel crisis, we expect this allocation in January’s revised budget,” he said.

Citing large crowds at recent matches in Habiganj and Tangail, Aminul said football remained the country’s most popular sport.

“I want this jersey to reach every home. When we host major tournaments, I want fans to wear it, fill the stadiums and cheer our players to victory,” he said.

Following the jersey launch, the BFF and NSC also signed an agreement on the shared use and management of the Kamalapur and Sylhet stadiums.