Amid the jubilation of the whole country rejoicing at the success of the Saff Women Championship 2022, the debate on the pay gap between male and female players came to the surface once again.
The women footballers have been in the center of euphoria, got grand reception when they made an open-top bus victory parade from the airport to the BFF House last Wednesday, and received promises of mega cash prizes. But the discrepancy of the salary remains.
Sabina Khatun, captain of the winning side, met Bangladesh Football Federation boss Kazi Salahuddin and he promised to increase their wages.
“We met with the president (Salahuddin). We requested him to increase our monthly salary. We also pleaded with him to arrange the equipment that we needed for practice. He heard us. He promised us apart from increasing our salaries he will also arrange the equipment,” said Sabina to the media on Thursday.
“The president promised to give us a decent remuneration. What I am getting is enough for me. But these girls have been doing well, and they deserve more. The BFF also believes they need to increase the players’ salaries,” said the 28-year-old forward.
Currently, the women footballers get salaries in three categories from BFF. The A category players get Tk10,000 per month, B category players receive Tk8,000, and C category players pocket Tk6,000 monthly salary.
A total of 36 players are under contract with BFF.
Top female players get Tk3-4 lakh per year playing for the club. On the other hand, male players, who do not have a contract with BFF, get around Tk50-60 lakhs for the same duration.
The discrepancy is also stark in cricket, the country's most popular sport.
A national team player gets Tk3 lakhs as appearance money in a one-day international while the women get a meager Tk9,000.
The trend is similar in wage structure as well.
The A category male cricketers receive Tk4 lakh while the women players in the same category get only Tk50,000.
The B category women get Tk40,000 while male players of the same category get Tk3 lakh.
And the salary of C category male and female players are Tk2 lakh and Tk30,000, respectively.
However, Sabina, the most experienced female footballer, is an exception compared to her teammates regarding her income. She played in abroad leagues to earn extra money and also spread the fame of her country.
She is supposed to join a forthcoming league in the Maldives and will leave the country next Friday.
The experienced player believes, with the new-found spirit, it is time to look forward and take the country’s football to a new high.
"We are now on top in South Asia, but we must look for further improvement. I think the senior team players understand more about the game as they get older. The BFF president said they expected us to lift the Saff Women's Championship title in 2024. But we delivered it two years ahead of schedule. That is evidence of the development of women's football. If the federation continues to do its job, the women's team will reach a good position in Asia."