Bangladesh’s triumph in the SAFF Under-20 Championship in the Maldives has once again underlined their growing dominance in South Asian football, with the champions set to receive a grand welcome upon their return home, reports Daily Sun.
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has arranged an elaborate reception for the victorious side on Saturday evening. The team is expected to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, where they will be welcomed by senior officials, including the State Minister for Youth and Sports, Aminul Haque, BFF President Tabith Awal, and other federation representatives.
After completing airport formalities, the Bangladesh Under-20 team will be taken through the city in a special open-top bus, allowing supporters to join in the celebrations. The procession will travel along key roads in the capital before concluding at the Hatirjheel Amphitheatre, where the official reception ceremony will take place
The evening’s festivities will be formally capped with a grand reception at the Amphitheatre, scheduled to commence at 8pm. Here, senior federation officials and distinguished guests will gather to pay tribute to the players and the backroom staff for their exploits abroad.
Outlining the evening's grand itinerary, National Teams Committee member Amirul Islam Babu confirm this. "The champion team arrives back from the Maldives this evening. Upon touching down, they will be personally received by the Honourable State Minister for Youth and Sports, Aminul Haque, alongside BFF President Tabith Awal and the federation's senior brass. From the airport, the motorcade will proceed directly to the Hatirjheel Amphitheatre, where the official reception awaits them at 8pm" he said.
The open-top bus parade is fast cementing itself as a cherished, celebratory hallmark of Bangladeshi football. It is a tradition that fondly echoes the jubilation of last July, when the women’s national team was greeted with a similar dawn reception upon returning from Myanmar after securing their historic qualification for the Asian Cup finals. Likewise, just this past January, Sabina Khatun, Krishna Rani Sarkar, and the conquering women's futsal squad were swept from the airport to Hatirjheel in identical, jubilant fashion after lifting the SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship in Thailand.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
