Dhaka Tribune journalist Shishir Hoque earned national recognition for his five-part series on the remarkable rise of women’s football in Rangatungi—a remote border village—while T Sports journalist Rifat Masud was named Sports Journalist of the Year 2024 at the MAX-BSPA Journalist Award ceremony held in Dhaka on Saturday.
The MAX-BSPA Journalist Award 2024, organised by the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) and sponsored by MAX Group, was held on December 13 at a city hotel in Paltan, marking the association’s 10th consecutive year of honouring excellence in sports journalism.
In the Series Report category, Dhaka Tribune’s Shishir Hoque finished runner-up for his widely praised five-part series on Rangatungi, described as “a revolt near a distant border.” The series documented how a marginalised rural community emerged as a major contributor to women’s football in Bangladesh.
The series traced how Rangatungi has quietly emerged as a powerhouse of women’s football, with seven players currently representing Bangladesh at youth and senior national levels, while around 18 footballers from the Rangatungi Academy have earned national call-ups since its formation.
It also revealed that more than 25 players from the same programme have featured in the Women’s Football League, despite most of the footballers coming from low-income families, and nearly one-fourth belonging to the indigenous Saontal community—underscoring football’s role as a rare pathway to opportunity and inclusion from a remote border region.
The judges commended the series for its depth, social relevance, and sustained field reporting.
The Abdul Hamid Trophy in the category was won by Arafat Zubaear of Dhaka Post, while ATN News senior reporter Badiuzzaman Milon was the other runner-up.
T Sports senior journalist Rifat Masud was named Sports Journalist of the Year 2024, winning the Tawfiq Aziz Khan Trophy and a cheque of Tk 100,000, after securing the highest marks from the independent judges’ panel. Dhaka Post’s Arafat Zubaear and ATN News’ Badiuzzaman Milon were named runners-up.
Other Category Winners:
- Exclusive Report: SM Iqbal (Somoy TV) – Badi-uz-Zaman Trophy
Runners-up: Faisal Habib (Ekattor TV), Tareq Mahmud (Prothom Alo) - Interview (Print & Online): Sanjay Saha Piyal (Samakal) – Ataul Haque Mallik Trophy
Runners-up: Mohammad Isam (ESPNcricinfo Bangladesh), Arafat Zubaear (Dhaka Post) - Interview (Electronic Media): Rifat Masud (T Sports) – Ataul Haque Mallik Trophy
Runners-up: Tazin Khandakar Panna (Somoy TV), AKM Faizul Islam (Channel 24) - Feature/Documentary (Print & Online): Ashfaq-Ul-Alam (The Daily Star) – Ranjit Biswas Trophy
Runners-up: Badiuzzaman Milon (ATN News), Zahir Uddin Mishu (Prothom Alo) - Feature/Documentary (Electronic Media): Rifat Masud (T Sports) – Ranjit Biswas Trophy
Runners-up: Nabil Elahi Khan (T Sports), SK Shaon (Channel 24) - Sports Photography: Mosharef Hossain Bhubon (Desh Rupantor) – Badrul Huda Trophy
Runners-up: Sazzad Hossain Mukul and Firoz Ahmed (The Daily Star)
The event was presided over by BSPA President Rezwan Uz Zaman, with awards presented by MAX Group Chairman and Bangladesh Swimming Federation Senior Vice-President Engineer Golam Mohammad Alamgir.
Two senior sports journalists—Md Anwar Ullah and Parveen Nasima Nahar Putul—were honoured on the occasion in observance of World Sports Journalists Day.
