Anisur Rahman

Anticipation was high, yet the scenes at the newly renovated National Stadium still amazed as the entire premises transformed into a sea of white -- the color of Bangladesh’s home jersey -- as Bangladesh prepared to face Singapore in a much-hyped Asian Cup Qualifier yesterday.

Bangladesh and Bashundhara Kings forward Rakib Hossain finished as the top local scorer in the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), netting 11 goals in 17 games -- one more than the previous season. Rakib spoke with The Daily Star’s Anisur Rahman about his form, domestic football, the national team, and the inclusion of Canada-based Shamit Shome in the Bangladesh squad.

With 15 clean sheets in 21 games in the Federation Cup and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Abahani goalkeeper Mitul Marma has been the standout performer this season.

A mainstay in domestic football and a reliable presence between the sticks for Bangladesh from 2015 to 2022, Rana also played for Chittagong Abahani, Saif Sporting Club and Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra.

The vibe would likely have been different had Mohammedan SC clinched their maiden Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) title with a win on the field -- especially after such a dominant display by the Black and Whites throughout the tournament.

Unless reconciliation happens -- unless Butler and the BFF work to reintegrate the veterans and unify the squad -- Bangladesh could head into the Asian qualifiers at risk of squandering hard-won momentum.

Jubaidur Rahman Rana, convenor of five-member Search Committee, talked to The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman.

After leading Bashundhara Kings to Federation Cup title defence as captain, central defender -- even becoming the joint-top scorer -- Tapu Barman was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

Ridoy had the simplest of chances to put Bangladesh ahead against India in the 12th minute.

Playing alongside English Premier League footballer Hamza Choudhury was the best-ever experience of his playing career, according to Bangladesh forward Sheikh Morsalin.

Cabrera hails debutant's impact

The match kicks off at 7:30 pm (Bangladesh time) at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong, Meghalaya, and will be broadcast live on T Sports.

“Mr Speaker Sir, what did Bangalee intend to achieve? What rights did Bangalee want to possess? We do not need to discuss and decide on them now [after independence]. [We] tried to press our demands after the so called 1947 independence. Each of our days and years with Pakistan was an episode of bloodied history; a record of struggle for our rights,” said Tajuddin Ahmad on October 30, 1972 in the Constituent Assembly. He commented on the proposed draft constitution for Bangladesh, which was adopted on November 4, 1972.

Zarif Abrar, who is now in Florida and training under renowned coach Ashley Hobson at the Hobson Performance Tennis Academy, talked to The Daily Star’s Anisur Rahman recently about his current training, his journey in tennis and his future plans. Below are excerpts of the conversation.

The Bangladesh national football team scored more than 12 goals in a match on Thursday. At first glance, this might seem like an extraordinary feat, a reason to celebrate the team's attacking prowess -- especially since Bangladesh are not known for scoring heavily at the international level.

Bangladesh women’s football team defender Afeida Khandokar was handed the captaincy after 18 players, including most seniors, boycotted training under coach Peter Butler. The lanky centre-back wore the captain’s armband in two friendlies against hosts UAE recently, both matches ending in 3-1 defeats for Bangladesh. Following her return to the country, Afeida spoke with The Daily Star’s Anisur Rahman in an interview, where she opened up about their recent tour, their experience of playing without the seniors, and a few other issues. The excerpts of the interview are as follows:

With newly installed sheds, colourful chairs brightening the galleries, a freshly laid greenish pitch, an athletic track, and decorative touches, the stadium radiated renewed energy. Adding to the spectacle was the electrifying atmosphere created by the excited screams of school-going boys and girls, making the stadium pulse with life once again as it hosted the finals for both boys and girls.

After clinching three golds and one silver at the 37th National Gymnastics Championships, which concluded on Tuesday at the NSC Gymnasium, he spoke to The Daily Star’s Anisur Rahman about his journey, as well as his personal and collective aspirations for Bangladesh gymnastics.

Home-grown sprinters are set to compete to be crowned the country’s fastest man in the upcoming National Athletics Championships as England-based Imranur Rahman, a four-time winner of the event and also the current champion, withdrew himself from the 48th edition of the competition, scheduled for February 17-19 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

The 2024–25 campaign has already seen three top-flight clubs facing allegations of betting and fixing