Football fever is everywhere across this nation, where people of all ages wave flags and wear jerseys of their favorite national teams and clubs during the World Cup or any major matches.
The inclusion of stars like Fahamedul Islam, Hamza Choudhury and Jamal Bhuyan on the national football team has added a fresh spark to this craze.
Beyond the professional matches, one can see children playing in alleyways or even turning a plastic bottle into a makeshift “ball” during school breaks.
Now these children can get the chance to play on real fields, learn proper skills and chase their dreams, helping prepare the next generation of players through the Playing for Peace program with support from the Fifa Foundation’s community program and the implementation of the Obhizatrik Foundation.
The two-year Playing for Peace program will run until June 2027 and train 1,000 children, including girls and children with special needs.
It will engage participants aged 11 to 18 and use football as a tool for empowerment and inclusion.
Among the participants, 600 children will come from underprivileged backgrounds, while 100 will be children with special needs.
Obhizatrik Foundation Executive Director Ahmed Imtiaz Jami said the organisation is working to ensure that 50% of the participants are girls, pushing for equal representation on the field.
When asked about the challenges, Project Manager Minhaz Uddin Shibly told Dhaka Tribune: “One of the main hurdles is ensuring regular attendance of the participants.”
He said that achieving the target for female participation is difficult, as many families are hesitant about having their daughters take part in such programmes.
“Budget constraints make it challenging to fully support children with disabilities,” he added.
“If this project can help create a grassroots network of underprivileged boys, girls and children with disabilities, and if they can develop the right skills to eventually connect with the Bangladesh Football Federation and other networks, then I would consider the project a success.”
Md Siddik, a student of Obhizatrik School, shared his hopes for the project and told Dhaka Tribune: “With access to coaches and other facilities, I believe that if I develop the right skills, I can one day become a professional footballer.”
Maheraz Hossain Chowdhury, one of the coaches of the program, spoke of his approach to training the young participants.
“As they are very young, I want to focus on technical abilities like being comfortable with the ball first. Then we will focus on skill development,” Maheraz said.
He aims to improve the children’s fitness levels to prepare them for competition at the national stage.
Meanwhile, Imrul Hasan, a teacher at Pallabi Mazedul Islam School, told Dhaka Tribune: “Most of our students come from middle- and lower-middle-class families. They are interested in sports, but due to a lack of regular practice, they cannot stay involved. When Obhizatrik came forward with its offer, we accepted it because it would benefit the students both physically and mentally.”
Imrul thinks playing outdoors is important because many of the children are becoming dependent on devices.
“Sports can help bring them out of that. It also builds leadership and teaches valuable life skills,” he added.
As part of the programme, a total of 28 tournaments will be organized over the two years.
These events will see participation from six schools, 40 local teams and five special teams, thus creating competitive opportunities and promoting wider community engagement.