Sports Desk:

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has announced plans to form a women’s futsal team, alongside efforts to revitalize the men’s program ahead of their debut in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers this September.

BFF President Tabith Awal shared the updates during a press conference at the BFF House on Sunday afternoon, where newly appointed futsal coach Saied Khodarahmi of Iran was also introduced. Khodarahmi has been handed a three-month contract to guide the national men’s team through the upcoming campaign.

Bangladesh, which has never previously participated in an AFC-level futsal competition, is set to face Iran, United Arab Emirates, and hosts Malaysia in Group G of the qualifiers, scheduled from September 20 to 24 in Malaysia.

Despite having a futsal committee in line with FIFA-AFC guidelines, the BFF has made limited progress in the discipline, with only one domestic futsal league held back in 2008. Tabith Awal acknowledged the long pause but remained optimistic about the future.

“We will soon organize a futsal league,” said the BFF president. “Alongside the men’s team, we also plan to launch a women’s futsal team and a dedicated league. The world is moving forward, and we must move with it.”

One of the major challenges, however, remains the lack of proper infrastructure. While BFF already grapples with venue limitations in standard football, futsal has no dedicated facilities, relying instead on existing indoor venues like the handball stadium and Mirpur indoor arena.

“We, together with the government, will work hand in hand to address the infrastructural needs,” Tabith added.

The AFC qualifiers mark a new chapter for Bangladesh futsal, with the federation now showing intent to invest in both development and gender inclusion in the sport.