#Title

Remote palichara reflects OVERALL REALITY
On the opposite side of the spectrum, supportive locals and administration have helped tip the balance of the scale. As a matter of fact, the success of Palichara girls prompted the government to recently build a stadium there with modern facilities.
MOSTAFA SHABUJ
Palichara, a remote village in Rangpur district, is not an unknown name in the local football fraternity ever since it emerged as a breeding ground of female footballers in the country.
Like Mymensingh’s Kalsindur, the girls of this tranquil village -- the likes of Sirat Jahan Swapna, Ishrat Jahan Ratna, and Mishrat Jahan Moushumi -- achieved successes in age-level national tournaments and went on to aid the national side in bringing international accolades.
The crowning achievement for women’s football arrived last year with the maiden SAFF Championship title. However, sudden departures of a few key figures of the SAFF-winning contingent -- of Swapna and the long-serving head coach Golam Rabbani Choton – had taken all aback.
Why did someone as young as Swapna -- a proven striker approaching the peak years of her career -- would hang up her boots at such a juncture where women’s football in the country was primed to flourish like never before?
Although Swapna said her retirement was down to her “own accord”, it is believed that the national team’s complete lack of action since the SAFF triumph, coupled with salary issue and the uncertainty surrounding a proposed franchise league (WSL), culminated in her making the call.
In an attempt to understand Swapna’s decision, this correspondent visited Palichara last month but failed to unearth anything concrete. However, the interactions with locals and upcoming footballers there gave a good indication about where the problem lies with Bangladesh women’s football despite having achieved huge success of late.
As the budding female footballers of Palichara talked about their role model, their eyes seemingly lit up with a mix of pride and sorrow. Like the rest of the country, Swapna’s retirement decision shocked them to the core but these young girls are still dreaming as big as their predecessors did.
While it cannot be denied that parents are now encouraging their girls to play football, still they face social stigma from their relatives and other residents of the tiny village. Just for choosing to play football, they are still subjected to bullying to this day. Recently a few girls were harassed by local miscreants.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, supportive locals and administration have helped tip the balance of the scale. As a matter of fact, the success of Palichara girls prompted the government to recently build a stadium there with modern facilities -- comprising press box, galleries, dressing room, and dormitory.
“We got these modern facilities only because of the success of the girls in this area,” Rangpur District Sports Association general secretary, Anwarul Islam, proudly said.
Similarly proud was former Union Parishad member Jahangir Alam, who said, “Women’s football got a new life in this area following our girls’ success in the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup in 2011.”
Nearly 30 girls from different villages in the vicinity regularly visit the stadium to partake in training. It was a refreshing surprise for this correspondent to watch a JFA Under-12 National Women’s Football Championship-23 qualifying final match in such a beautiful stadium.
The miscreants and the bullies seem to be the minority when the local residents there proudly utter the names of Swapna, Ratna, Moushumi and others.
“Now everybody encourages their girls to play football, which was not the case ten years back,” said Munsur Ali, a local resident.
Upon witnessing the determination of the budding female footballers and support of a section of locals, it is no wonder that a place like Palichara -- where the majority of the people are farmers and day labourers who remain impoverished -- went on to achieve something extraordinary, in terms of women’s empowerment in sport .
Having said that, are the facilities and collective support enough for Palichara’s sustainability? Why does poverty still remain the main enemy of these girls, who have to practice without proper three meals a day?
Local coach Milon Ali informed that a few well-wishers -- notably Biplob Kumar Sarker, joint commissioner of DMP who was Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rangpur District, and Japan expatriate Mamtaj Khan -- have been supporting the girls.
“They are very talented but support from some individuals is not good enough for them to continue their football venture. I firmly believe these girls too have the ability to make the nation proud if they get proper support,” Biplob Kumar Sarker told The Daily Star.
From grassroots to top level, the time has come to address and sort out all possible issues, starting from something as fundamental as financial security. The SAFF Championship has shown that unprecedented success alone cannot ensure growth and its continuity when the infrastructure only exists as a facade.