The soft feeling of the morning sun is not there. The heat of the sun was increasing as the day progressed. Since then, the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has been thronged with journalists. The victorious Bangladesh women’s team will return home from Nepal at quarter past two. The news workers are busy conveying the story of their return to the people of the country.
The crowd of common people has not yet gathered properly. A group of BKSP came at around 12 noon. Cricket, judo, swimming, football—girls from all categories are there. There is only one slogan in their mouth – ‘Bangladesh!’ ‘Bangladesh!’
After a while, the roar of the tiger was heard. ‘Tiger’ means the well-known face of the cricket field, Tiger Shoaib Ali! The success of football has drawn familiar faces from the cricket field to the airport. Like BKSP students, she also has the atmosphere of Bangladesh.
Taskin Ahmed was seen coming out of the airport after an hour. The pacer of the national cricket team went to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah a few days ago. Today is a day that will be remembered in the sport’s history of Bangladesh. Journalists waiting at the airport also found Taskin and surrounded him with cameras.
Taskin also expressed his happiness at the achievement of women footballers before leaving the tangle of journalists, ‘It is a great achievement for our country. Very happy. I am sure, they will play better in the future, Insha Allah.
The wait for the champions inside the airport was increasing since then. When will Sabina, Maria, and Krishna come – the same question is on everyone’s lips. Meanwhile, the crowd of supporters outside the VIP gate was increasing.
Within an hour, the place to step into the airport will disappear. The crowd of supporters gathered around the open-top bus. A BRTC bus with ‘Champions’ decorated with flowers waiting for women cricketers. The crowd of people around the bus, everyone came down to the street to welcome Sabina.
The girls of Bangladesh have returned home with the clean football trophy, the madness will work. But the players of the women’s team could not have imagined that it would be so big.
When the girls were coming out with the trophy raised, the ribbon written on the champion, the expression in many people’s eyes was ‘disbelief’! As goalkeeper Rituparna Chakma said, ‘We also thought there would be a lot of people (at the airport). But it will be so much, that is unexpected.
There is a level of unbelievable. When the open-top bus of the champions came out of the airport, it seemed to surpass that level. There were crowds of people on both sides of the road. Many people were congratulating the roofs and balconies of big buildings.
The eyes were stuck seeing the activities of the workers busy in the renovation of the airport.
Seeing the girls’ open-top bus, everyone stopped their work and lined up to applaud. The workers cheered until the snail-paced bus passed out of sight. A similar scene was created by the workers working on the elevated expressway.
Sabina also did not disappoint. They were responding by raising the trophy and waving their hands. Many people danced to the rhythm of the song. Behind the open-top bus, a truck of supporters was repeatedly playing the song ‘Jalle Otho, Bangladesh’. With the words of the song, as if the whole atmosphere is united, ‘Target the victory of red and green, spread it from hand to hand.’
The DJ at the cricket ground usually tries to keep the audience energized by playing this song between the overs. The same song played in the success of yesterday’s football. Seeing the open-top buses moving at a snail’s pace and the noise of people filling the streets, it seemed that this was the magic of success. All of society is united in an instant, like that group of BKSP girls. Football, cricket – whatever the game, this success is like the whole of Bangladesh.
Such pictures are not often seen in the sports world of Bangladesh. Reminisced about winning the U-19 Cricket World Cup 2020. Going a little further back, there is also talk of Bangladesh winning the title in the 2018 Women’s Asia Cup Cricket.
But today, the success of the women’s football team has surpassed the two big successes of the recent past. The crown of the best in South Asia in football is in the possession of the women of Bangladesh. And the whole country rejoiced. And this is a great achievement for a successful nation.
Sabinas are returning, welcome with flowers and sweets, there will be open-top buses at the airport
Bangladesh women footballers have made history in Nepal. Made the nation proud, floated in joy. The footballers who conquered South Asia are returning home today at 1.50 pm on Wednesday. All preparations for their return to this house are now complete. The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), the government’s transport agency, has arranged open-top buses for the Bangladesh team. Preparations have been made for the celebration from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Bangladesh Football Federation (BAFFE) building in Motijheel.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Bangladesh Football Federation will jointly welcome the Bangladesh team at the airport. State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan will be present at the airport. There will be the secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and others. Bangladesh Football Federation officials will also go to welcome the girls.
The program was decided in a meeting organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports on Tuesday. However, there are no big surprises in that program. Greeting with flowers, Mishtimukha – these are the traditional ones. Abu Naim, general secretary of BAF, said, “Girls will be welcomed with flowers at the airport.” They will be made sweet. Then a small press briefing. After finishing these, the girls will be brought to Bafufe Bhavan in an open-top bus.
Buses carrying girls from the airport will stop at Kakali, Jahangir Gate, Prime Minister’s Office, Vijay Sarani, Tejgaon, Mouchak, Kakrail, Arambagh, Motijheel Shapla Square at Buffe Bhavan. BAUF President Kazi Salauddin will welcome the girls into the building.
The sportsmen say that this is the first time in Bangladesh to welcome a sports team in an open-top bus. In 1997, after the national cricket team won the ICC trophy and qualified for the World Cup, they were given a grand reception at Manik Mia Avenue. However, the team came to the city from the airport in an air-conditioned bus.
BRTC sources said the roof of a BRTC double-decker bus was removed to accommodate Sabina. The footballers will be brought from the airport to Buffe Bhavan by bus. The work of removing the roof went on all day yesterday. After the completion of this work at night, BRTC explained it to the event management company appointed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The bus is then decorated.
According to BRTC sources, the roof and three sides of the Ashok Leyland company’s double-decker bus were removed. There are stainless steel (SS) railings and boxes. Fourteen seats have been removed from the front and center of the double-decker so that the footballers can stand and respond to the cheers of the football fans. 28 seats have been left for them to sit. However, no changes have been made to the ground floor of the bus.
The entire bus has been covered in digital banners for decoration. In this, the photos of the special moments of the players have been kept. The front of the bus is also decorated with flower bouquets.
As the concept of the open-top bus
Ahead of the SAFF women’s championship final against Nepal, star Krishna Rani posted a photo of the open-top bus celebrating the title on Facebook, writing, ‘Waiting for this moment.’
Before going down to play the final, Sanjida Akhtar wrote on Facebook, ‘We want to win this for the dreamers who are eager to embrace this dream of ours. We want to repay the absolute support. While not standing with the trophy in the open-top champion bus, we want to win it for the people who have helped us touch the green grass, leaving aside society’s tips. This success of ours may help us to get some new Sabina, Krishna, and Maria. I want to make this road of Anuj’s friendship easier.
When Krishna-Sanjidara returns home today, an open-top bus will be standing at the airport. Common people may be on both sides of the road to congratulate them. The female footballers can respond to the congratulations from the open-top bus.
After the match on Monday, Minister of State for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan told reporters, “Seeing Sabina’s regret has hurt our hearts. Although there is no open-roof bus in our country; Still we have made a provision for them. We will welcome them from the airport in an open-top bus. We will take them from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Bafufe Bhavan. I will fulfill their hopes.
According to BRTC sources, after the women’s football team won the championship, the sports ministry made a plan to fulfill the desire of the footballers for an open-top bus. BRTC was contacted that night. Without hesitation, BRTC cut the roof of one of the company’s buses to celebrate the women’s football team’s homecoming. The roofing of a double-decker bus of BRTC’s Motijheel depot started yesterday morning.
Chairman of BRTC. Tajul Islam told Prothom Alo, “The women’s football team has given a great gift to the nation. The nation is grateful to them. We are proud to be a part of their celebration.”