Abahani Limited’s former and current directors, officials and former players gathered in the club premises in Dhanmondi Tuesday to see the devastation of the loot and damage by mobs.
The gathering urged to return the property of the club, particularly the trophies, and confirmed that no legal action will be taken.
Legendary sports club Abahani was attacked by mobs on August 5 following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina as the Prime Minister.
Alongside destruction of the club premises, trophies earned by the club in the last 52 years were looted by the miscreants.
Seven rooms of the newly-built club office were wrecked.
The furnitures were found broken and shattered inside and outside the single-storied club office building.
A club official who claimed to be present during the act of vandalism and looting said a group of 100 people came in motorcycles, while more from the field joined afterwards on the day the Sheikh Hasina-led government fell.
Veteran sports organizer Abdus Sadek, Dewan Shafiul Arefin Tutul, Ahmed Sajjadul Alam Bobby, former star footballer Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu, Abdul Gaffer, Sheikh Mohammad Aslam, Khurshid Alam Babul, Golam Gaus, Iqbal Hossain, Zakir Hossain, Satyajit Das Rupu and Biplob Bhattacharjee were present during the visit of the Abahani club premises Tuesday.
Members of Abahani Samarthak Goshthi were also present.
“Abahani has been one of the leading clubs of the country for the last 50 years. Even I don’t know the number of trophies this club has earned. It is very unfortunate to see those trophies get looted by mobs. I would like to request them [through media] to return those trophies to the club,” said former hockey player and sports organizer Abdus Sadek.
Former Bangladesh footballer and National Sports Award winner Abdul Gaffer ensured that no one will face any issue while returning the trophies.
“We have found some trophies back. We all are above 60 years old now. We will leave this world but the sad part will be the new generations will not get to see the legacy of Abahani if the looted trophies are not restored. Please return the trophies thinking of the generations to come. I hope you all return the trophies to the place they belong,” said Gaffer.
Former Abahani cricketer and current Bangladesh Cricket Board chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu said: “I was hurt when I got the news that the club premises got attacked and that all the trophies were looted. I first played for the club when I was 20 years old. It was in year 1980. I have a lot of memories attached to this club as player and later as an organizer. We will be happy if the looted trophies are returned to the club.”
Abahani and BCB director Kazi Inam Ahmed while speaking to the media emphasized that the youth are the strength of Abahani Club.
Inam requested the government and authorities to help Abahani recover its trophies.
“We have a lot of former players, officials and club supporters present today [Tuesday]. Abahani is a legendary club and it is very unfortunate to see the club get attacked by mobs. A lot of damage has been made to the club premises particularly all the achievements of the clubs [the trophies] have been taken away. This club belongs to the country. This club belongs to Dhanmondi. This club belongs to the supporters,” said Inam.
“I would like to request the government and the authorities to look at the security of the club. We have seen last week it was not only Abahani but few other sports clubs got attacked. We know the youth are taking the sports of the country forward and the youth are the biggest supporter of Abahani. It is unfortunate that some miscreants have looted the trophies of the club and we will request to return those trophies to the club,” he added.
