Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus on Saturday hosted a reception for the Bangladesh Women`s Football Team for winning the SAFF Championship title.
The reception was organised at the State Guest House Jamuna.
The SAFF Championship women`s footballers reached Jamuna by a bus of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) at about 10:35AM.
The Bangladesh team clinched the SAFF title in a thrilling 2-1 win over Nepal in the final, held in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
The team returned home on Thursday, arriving at Dhaka`s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at noon. They were greeted by flowers at the airport.
The Chief Adviser carefully listened to the demands of the victorious players and promised to address them on a priority basis as he accorded a reception to the heroes following their 2-1 win over Nepal in the final of the seventh SAFF Women’s Championship in Kathmandu on October 30.
"I congratulate you on behalf of the whole nation on achieving this success. The nation is grateful to you. The people of our country want success. You have brought us the success," the Chief Adviser told the players in his opening remarks.
Captain Sabina Khatun thanked the Chief Adviser for hosting them and said that they felt honoured to be able to join the reception.
"We have come to this stage by overcoming a lot of barriers. It is not just the women`s football team, but women in general in Bangladesh face many struggles," she said.
Sabina, who started her football career in 2009, also recalled the contribution of her previous generation for showing the courage of taking football as their passion.
Sabina said that many of them come from a humble background and need to support their families. "Our salaries do not allow us to give much support, as we do not get much," said Sabina.
Prof Yunus has asked every player of the SAFF-winning Bangladesh women`s football team to write down their individual aspirations, struggles, and demands and share those with his office.
"Do not hesitate to write whatever you wish. We will try to fulfil your demands. If anything can be addressed now, we will do it now," Prof Yunus added.
