Photo: Collected
Bangladesh football star Hamza Dewan Chowdhury arrived in Dhaka from London this morning (Monday) to join the national team. He arrived ahead of a crucial SAFF Championship group match against Sri Lanka.
Hamza was welcomed at the airport by Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) executive committee member and team manager Amirul Islam Babu and BFF executive member and national team committee member Imtiaz Hamid (Sabuj).
The Sheffield United midfielder had missed Bangladesh’s opening match against Bhutan because of club commitments.
Hamza’s arrival has also brought relief to Bangladesh supporters. His inclusion before the knockout stage is expected to boost the team’s confidence.
Bangladesh began their SAFF campaign without Hamza, and the red-and-greens got off to a great start by beating Bhutan in the opening match.
Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka in their last group-stage match next Wednesday. Hamza is set to make his SAFF Championship debut in this match.
His presence is expected to give extra inspiration to Bangladesh as they pursue their dream of the SAFF title. Supporters are now eagerly waiting to see Hamza on the pitch against Sri Lanka.
At a glance
According to a report by The Daily Star, Bangladesh are hosting the 15th SAFF Championship; in the six-team tournament, Bangladesh are in Group A with Sri Lanka and Bhutan. In the FIFA rankings Bangladesh are 182nd, Sri Lanka 184th and Bhutan 192nd.
According to the schedule published in a Daily Inqilab report on 16 September, Bangladesh’s match against Sri Lanka is on 11 November at 8pm.
Sources
Background sources: The Daily Star, November 2026; Daily Inqilab, 16 September 2026
