The women players of Bangladesh national football team have been rewarded with an exemplary rise in their wages, which is the highest among the governing bodies in South Asia in terms of salaries provided to female footballers.
The total wages under new contract announced by Bangladesh Football Federation Wednesday are around five times more than their previous pay scale.
The increase in wages by BFF is also higher than any other men’s or women’s Bangladesh football team in the past.
The men’s national team footballers still do not get any salary from the federation and only receive allowances during the training camp, but they are remunerated by the clubs handsomely in comparison to the women players.
The new rise of salary came into effect after a number of demands from the Bangladesh women footballers, led by captain Sabina Khatun, since they won their maiden SAFF Championship title last year.
The salary saga
Bangladesh youth women’s teams started gaining success at the international competitions from 2015 onwards and they have been under year-long residential camp since then.
They created history by qualifying for the final round of the AFC Under-16 Women’s Championship for the first time in 2016, which was followed by the unbeaten campaign at the 2017 Saff U-15 Championship.
The BFF started providing the players some wages as “token money” from the beginning of 2018 which ranged from Tk2,000 to Tk10,000 per month, a source at the federation informed Dhaka Tribune.
The salaries increased from time to time in accordance with the performance of the players and the last increment was handed over around two years ago.
Only the skipper got Tk20,000 while 15 players earned Tk10,000, three received Tk8,000, four collected Tk6,000 while four were given Tk4,000.
The national players were not happy with the same salary structure after the SAFF Championship triumph and continued to ask for more which resulted in the new contract.
Among 31 players, 15 footballers will pocket Tk50,000 per month while 10 will earn Tk30,000 and the rest Tk15,000-20,000.
BFF now has to pay a total of Tk13,920,000 per year only for salary purpose of women footballers, which was around Tk29 lakhs previously.
Highest in South Asia
In December, 2020, All Nepal Football Association announced an almost three-fold increment in the salaries of women national football players.
Soon Bhutan also tripled the wages of the country’s national female booters, according to reports.
Nepal’s women footballers used to get Nepalese Rupees 7,000 before it increased to 18,000 which is equivalent to Tk14,814, while Bhutan’s female players saw their increment rise from Bhutanese Ngultrum 10,000 to 30,000 (Tk 39,503).
There are no reports regarding the salaries of women footballers disbursed by All India Football Federation but a senior sports journalist from India confirmed that there is currently no regular pay scale in place for the female booters.
India however, has the women’s league that pours more money than Bangladesh’s women’s league.
AIFF also made it mandatory last April for the top eight participating teams in the Indian Women’s League to have a minimum of 10 Indian players on an annual contract worth a minimum of Rs3.2 lakhs.
While asked, a source at South Asian Football Federation also confirmed Dhaka Tribune regarding the situation in India, Nepal and Bhutan.
He could not confirm if there is any wage structure for women footballers in the Maldives, Sri Lanka – currently suspended by FIFA for government interference - and Pakistan.
There was no report found regarding wages of women footballers in these three countries, except match and camp allowances, let alone salary hike.
Attempts were made to reach the officials of the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Pakistan’s football federations over phone, but to no avail.
Along with the biggest rise in wages in the region, the first-team women players of Bangladesh are also set to earn the highest salary (by federation) in South Asia when they get paid under the new central contract.
Positive vibe in the team
The latest increment generated a jovial atmosphere in the women’s team as they trained after the previous day’s announcement at Kamalapur Stadium in the capital Thursday.
“If we get this salary, we can contribute to the family and also meet our own needs. It’s very good because the junior players will now try to perform better,” defender Shamsunnahar told Dhaka Tribune after training.
Newly appointed head coach Saiful Bari Titu said: “The increment of wages is very positive because they don’t have well established league like the men. It’s a good start and motivation for the players.”
Sabina also admitted that the new contract signing opened a new chapter in the country's women’s football.
New contract
Pool A (Tk50,000): Sabina Khatun, Rupna Chakma, Masura Parvin, Shamsunnahar, Sheuli Azim, Nilufa Yasmin Nila, Anai Mogini, Maria Manda, Monika Chakma, Shamsunnahar Jr, Ritu Porna Chakma, Sanjida Akter, Marzia, Krishna Rani Sarkar, Tohura Khatun
Pool B (Tk30,000): Sohagi Kisku, Shopna Rani, Afeida Khandakar, Shaheda Akter Ripa, Shorna Rani Mandal, Mosammat Aklima Khatun, Mosammat Surma Jannat, Sathi Biswas, Matsushima Sumaya, Unnoti Khatun
Pool C (Tk20,000/15,000): Mosammat Halima Akter, Kohati Kisku, Nasrin Akter, Mosammat Ety Khatun (all 20k), Rupa, Airin Khatun (both 15k)
