Bangladesh-based football media platform Plaantik has published a first-of-its-kind book in the form of an anthology on Bangladesh's unique football culture.
Titled “Plaantik: An Anthology of Bangladesh's Football Culture”, the book boasts a star-studded list of authors, including Bangladesh men's and women's national team captains Jamal Bhuiyan and Sabina Khatun, British Bangladeshi Hamza Choudhury, who plays for English club Watford on loan from Leicester City, Reshmin Chowdhury, and many more.
The following excerpt, titled “Sink or Swim”, was taken from the book. It was written by Anwar Uddin MBE, a retired British Bangladeshi footballer who played for West Ham United.
You can order your copy at plaantik.com/book.
I was about nine or ten the first time I came to Bangladesh. We had a decent life in East London at the time. We had a big house and a car and did not have a lot to complain about. The contrast was stark in Bangladesh. I don't think you're ever prepared for it because when you're young, you're shielded from it and you don't really know about your history.
It felt like going back in time. I vividly remember being obsessed with baby taxis. I couldn't believe those little scooter things. My dad took a baby taxi with me everywhere. We once walked into a house in my dad's village that had one room and there were 20 people living there in difficult conditions. He would say that the meal we just had there probably cost as much as their entire monthly salary.
I am glad I got to see that from a young age because that stayed with me. Every single day for me is a privilege. Everything I have I'm grateful for. And I think that's because of the Bangladeshi in me.
Cricket, too, was big in our household in England. I used to play cricket when I was a kid. I was okay at it. I wanted to be a fast bowler because I thought they were the coolest players. That's what I wanted to be, but I just could never do it. I didn't think my shoulder was capable of doing it. In fact, every time I bowled, it felt like I was going to put my shoulder out. I loved watching Shoaib Akhter. I enjoyed being a batter though.
When I was in Bangladesh the last time, I bought my whole family the Bangladesh cricket team's jersey. I asked my kids to wear it when Bangladesh plays cricket and in general too because they should be proud of their roots and heritage. I loved watching Akram Khan back in the day. Abdur Razzak was great, too. And, of course, Shakib Al Hasan is one of the best all-rounders ever. I thought spinners and fast bowlers always had the X factor.
Obviously, England and being English is a big part of me, but I think it's about your roots and where you're from which is why I would always support Bangladesh over England in cricket. I don't think enough people know about Bangladesh. It's important that people like myself do everything they can to raise the profile of our country in different parts of the world.
