Bangladesh women’s football team head coach Peter Butler has been in the practice ground with the younger footballers while the senior national players continued to boycott training under the Englishman for 13 consecutive days.
A total 35 players – chiefly Under-20, U-19 and U-17 ones – attended the training session under Butler at Bangabandhu National Stadium Monday.
Two players could not join the training due to pain and minor injury.
There were seven players who had been in the senior squad previously including the likes of Afeida Khandakar, Shaheda Akter Ripa, Kohati Kisku, Shopna Rani and Munki Akter.
The 18 key senior players who protested against Butler did not show up.
They however, attended gym session on their own on the same day.
The special committee formed by Bangladesh Football Federation to look into the dispute between Butler and the footballers submitted its report last Thursday.
The federation has not yet officially disclosed what was on the report.
The BFF president Tabith Awal will now take the vital next steps on the dispute.
Tabith, who was elected as BFF boss for the first time last October, met the 18 protesting footballers and Butler in order to draw amicable solution between the two parties.
The rebel footballers however, remained fixed on their decision to boycott.
The ones who are protesting against Butler are almost all the key players of the national team, including captain Sabina Khatun and winger Ritu Porna Chakma, who was adjudged the best player of the SAFF Women’s Championship 2024.
As things stand now, there is only one way to bring the footballers back to training - which is to remove Butler as head coach and appoint someone new.
BFF is expected to reach a concrete decision on Butler and 18 footballers soon as FIFA friendly away to the United Arab Emirates is scheduled to take place later this month.