Aminul Haque — once the trusted name under the national team’s crossbar, a former captain, and one of the finest goalkeepers in the country’s history.

In 2003, when Bangladesh won the SAFF Championship for the first time, he was a shining star of that title-winning side. In 2010, Bangladesh’s U-23 team, under his captaincy, won gold at the South Asian Games. From 1998 to 2010, he made 47 appearances for the national team. In club football, he won numerous honours with Abahani Limited Dhaka, Mohammedan Sporting Club, Muktijoddha Sangsad KC and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.

Over time, Aminul Haque moved from the goalmouth to the political arena. He is currently the Secretary for Sports Affairs of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the convener of BNP Dhaka North. Recently, on the instruction of BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, he took charge of a new project for budding footballers. He is also involved in organising various tournaments across the country to promote football nationwide—alongside the demands of political work and elections.

Amid this schedule, he sat down for an exclusive conversation with Banglanews. The interview was conducted by Banglanews Sports In-Charge Moazzem Hossain and Senior Correspondent (Sports) Abir Rahman. It explored Aminul Haque’s transition from the goalpost to politics, the future of football in Bangladesh, the role of expatriate players and ideas to advance women’s football.

Banglanews: We’d like to know the backstory of your rise from footballer to politician. When and how did you feel it was right for you to join politics?

Aminul Haque: My political awareness began during the 1990 mass uprising. After nine long years of struggle against the dictator Ershad, the country was freed from autocracy. In the subsequent free and fair election, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) formed a government. BNP held a victory procession then. I was living in the tin-shed colony in Rupnagar; my father was a government employee. I still remember going to that procession with the elder boys and respected elders in our area. I was wearing a sleeveless vest and half pants.

From that victory procession onward, I developed a liking, respect and a sense of satisfaction for the BNP. As I grew older, I began learning about martyred President Ziaur Rahman. At the age of 12 one cannot know much, but after ’91, as I matured and took up sports, I learned how he travelled across the country—cities, towns and villages—to build a modern, prosperous Bangladesh. When I understood the initiatives he took in a short time to develop the nation, I became personally interested in him and learned about his plans and programmes.

From then on, I had an affection for the BNP. I dreamed first of establishing myself as a footballer and, after reaching that long-cherished goal, if opportunity ever arose, working as a humble activist of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. I nurtured that dream from childhood.

With that dream, I began playing for the Bangladesh national team, captained the side, and was part of Bangladesh’s triumphs—especially the 1999 South Asian Games, the 2003 SAFF Championship in Dhaka (still our only men’s SAFF title), and the unbeaten gold-medal run at the 2010 South Asian Games under my captaincy.

I retired from the national team while still captain in 2011. I played domestic football for two more years in 2012 and 2013. Across a 17-year career, I faced many major injuries. With five major surgeries behind me, I still had to stand guard under Bangladesh’s crossbar, overcoming those setbacks.

The last time, my ACL ligament tore. Then I felt—and my family agreed—that after nearly 17 years and five operations, it was time. I too felt, Alhamdulillah, I have played as much as I could and tried to give my best for the people, the spectators and football.

After the 2013 injury, when I fully retired, I reached out to BNP’s acting chairman Mr Tarique Rahman to realise the dream I had cherished since childhood. After explaining my wish to him, I met our beloved Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. Finally, on 5 March 2014, in a grim and difficult time for the country, I and several other athletes formally joined the BNP.

On our first day, our honourable Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia told us, “Those of you who have joined today—I will do my utmost to ensure the party duly recognises your love and commitment. I will keep a close eye on that.”

From that day to this, I have participated in every party programme and joined the struggle for people’s rights. As a humble activist, I have tried to follow to the letter the directives of our Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in Bangladesh’s long struggle—over 17 years—against autocracy to restore the people’s rights.

Banglanews: You joined the BNP after retirement in 2014, a time you described as a “grim and difficult situation.” You chose to enter the party during hardship, not wait for an easy moment. You could have joined the then-ruling Awami League if you wished. As a famous athlete, you could have used your popularity to become an MP or a minister—like some star players did. Why did you choose the BNP and remain with the party despite so many cases and pressures?

Aminul Haque: This goes back to 2009. We had lost in the SAFF semi-final. The then-prime minister (Sheikh Hasina) attended the prize-giving. One of our players, Joy (former national captain and ex-deputy minister of the Awami League, Arif Khan Joy), had been an Awami League activist from the start and used his football profile politically. I received similar offers too.

But from childhood, I have said that the ideals and personality of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman, Begum Khaleda Zia and our acting chairman Mr Tarique Rahman—and their thinking about Bangladesh—always inspired me. I never liked the Awami League or its leadership. The allure of power never attracted me.

I could have taken that offer like Joy did. But since I never liked their ideals or that party in my heart, I never had the slightest soft corner for the Awami League.

As I had an affection for the BNP, I always tried to stand with the people’s side—which I believe was the BNP. When I joined the BNP in 2014, many told me, “You’re joining now? Look at BNP’s condition!” I said, “You find many people in good times. My commitment to the party must be shown in hardship.” I have tried to remain by the BNP’s side as a humble activist. My politics is for the people of Bangladesh.

Banglanews: If you are elected by popular vote in the upcoming national election and, by the party’s decision, take charge of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, what would you do for the country’s sports? Do you have a plan?

Aminul Haque: As a sportsperson who spent 17 years in football, I know where the problems in Bangladesh’s football lie. I have often said on talk shows where our limitations are, how we can restructure the grassroots and what needs to be done for the national team. But I have yet to see those things implemented.

I believe I can deliver practical solutions. Bangladeshis are sports-minded; our people love sport. Our acting chairman Mr Tarique Rahman has devised a plan. We believe we can solve many social, family and state problems through sport. For instance, from Class Four we want to include sport—especially football and cricket—in the national curriculum at every school. Alongside that, we will select five events in which we have a chance to do well at the South Asian Games or the Olympics and include them in the syllabus. To pass examinations, students will also have to pass in those five events.

What will this do? Our youth—our children—who are drifting towards drugs and device addiction, we can steer them away from those. Ultimately, we can build a healthier nation. Playgrounds across Bangladesh are limited. We will preserve many fields. We plan to create walkways around them so children can play and elders can also walk as in a park.

We have a long-term plan. You may remember a TV programme from our childhood called Notun Kuri. Mr Tarique Rahman once told me, “Have you ever watched Notun Kuri? We want to start a programme called Notun Kuri Sports.” From that idea, I presented an action plan on how we can identify talent at upazila level, then bring them through district, divisional and national stages in sports like basketball, swimming, archery and more.

Not everyone has equal talent. When we identify a player with the potential to achieve for Bangladesh—and if Allah grants us the chance to form a government—we will, as a state, take full responsibility for those talented athletes and their families, including their sport and education.

Only the BKSP in Dhaka runs well. We want to fully activate the BKSPs in Dinajpur and Sylhet. If we can set up BKSPs in remaining divisions, we can provide all facilities to talented athletes within their own regions.

Our acting chairman Mr Tarique Rahman’s target is that—if Allah enables us to win a fair election—we will create over ten million jobs within 18 months. Through this, our former athletes who retire and worry about their future will have access to government jobs or allowances; and our current national heroes will have opportunities for government employment after retirement.

Banglanews: There is a revival in football. Good expatriate players like Jamal Bhuyan, Hamza Choudhury, Cuba Mitchell and Fahamedul are joining the team. Hamza has played in the world’s top flight (the English Premier League). Others are following. But homegrown global stars are not emerging on Bangladeshi soil, which is also reflected in the national team’s performances. What changes are needed?

Aminul Haque: Not only in football—Bangladesh has many talented athletes in cricket and other sports too. But often due to a lack of proper focus and financial or social support, they cannot progress. With the arrivals of Hamza Choudhury and Jamal Bhuyan, a renaissance has occurred in our football and the standard has improved. We will win sometimes and lose sometimes. When we win, we are on fans’ shoulders; when we lose, we face criticism. This ebb and flow exists in every sport.

But global stars don’t emerge overnight. We need to build the structure of football. We must ensure 100 percent professionalism among players and in the federation. We have never truly built these foundations. We are the first political party to organise football tournaments in every division of Bangladesh—and cricket tournaments too. Recently, we held a boat race on the lake at Zia Udyan and an event at the volleyball stadium. We are preparing a year-long sports calendar.

We plan to appoint an experienced former athlete as “sports officer” in roughly 495 upazilas. They will be held accountable by government to fully implement the annual calendar. Some federations exist only in name. Whether it is kung fu, taekwondo or karate—we want to work in every sector. The biggest problem is financial constraints. Our main focus is not infrastructure; our main focus is the athlete. We will engage corporate houses to make federations financially solvent so they can ensure the best possible support for athletes.

Banglanews: Our women footballers are doing very well. They have won SAFF twice. Yet most come from remote and disadvantaged families. How can women’s football advance further and how can we produce more women footballers?

Aminul Haque: Both the women’s football and cricket teams of Bangladesh are performing very well. Speaking of women’s football, I visited their camp in Mymensingh. Many of them are not financially well-off; their family and financial situations are tough. An athlete cannot perform freely while worrying, “Will there be groceries at home tomorrow?” or “My parents are sick—can I provide proper treatment?”

When the state takes responsibility off that athlete’s shoulders—when the government ensures housing, healthcare, education and stipends—then she can focus 100 percent on the field. Seeing that, many more girls will think, “Our footballers are doing well. I too want to be a footballer alongside my studies.” Then you will see players emerge from all over Bangladesh—not just Mymensingh—especially from the hill regions where there is strong physical capacity.

Banglanews: Since the mass uprising of August 5, we see you speaking up about sports more than before. How satisfied are you with this one year (of the interim government)?

Aminul Haque: Frankly, I am not satisfied at all. After August 5, Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan started well but couldn’t maintain that. He personally interfered in the cricket board and football federation, which a sports adviser should never do.

I have seen him back one side (Aminul Islam Bulbul) in the cricket board election. When the councillors did not turn out as he wished, he had Bulbul bhai issue letters. The sports adviser himself phoned deputy commissioners. I was astonished to hear an adviser threatening councillors over the phone—intimidating them with fears of ACC cases, police and DB—to fix councillors of his choice! Such arbitrariness has deeply frustrated us.

For 17 years we witnessed autocracy. After the August 5 uprising, we dreamed of a sports sector free from partisan capture. I spoke with Asif Mahmud—we said we would not politicise sports. By de-politicisation, I don’t mean that someone associated with BNP cannot engage in sport; if they are a sportsperson, they can. What we oppose is running federations through MPs or those not connected to sports. We never want that.

But the so-called “search committee” included many who were leftovers of the Awami League and others unconnected to sport. Most shocking was that an NSC (National Sports Council) nominee who had been elected as a BCB director was later cancelled—with the claim, “We didn’t know his background.” What could be a bigger falsehood? You removed him and appointed another as director—under which rules?

We have not seen such arbitrariness in Bangladesh cricket before. We want this to stop here. We want to restructure sports anew—with no personal preferences.

Banglanews: You had opportunities to play for clubs like Newcastle United and Al Hilal but couldn’t due to injuries and other issues. Does that still trouble you?

Aminul Haque: My first call came from Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal when I was playing the 2000 World Cup qualifiers. After the first three matches they offered me a deal on the spot. But I was young then; I didn’t have the courage to live abroad leaving my parents behind. Later, the Saudi federation decided not to recruit foreign goalkeepers to create opportunities for their local keepers. That policy cost me the chance to play for Al Hilal.

As for Newcastle United, our former coach György Kottán (who passed away a few years ago) arranged it. But then I suffered a major spinal injury and was out for almost a year. Alhamdulillah, I returned from that injury and was part of the 2003 SAFF Championship-winning team.

Later, through a Brazilian coach, I also had an opportunity to play in Denmark. Unfortunately, another injury prevented it. Even with that pain, there is comfort in the fact that whenever I played under foreign coaches, as a goalkeeper they told me, “You have the ability and quality to play at the international level.” That is a big achievement for me.

Banglanews: In the recent trials for expatriate players, many good footballers emerged but did not get opportunities. Could bringing expatriate footballers into the domestic league raise the league’s quality?

Aminul Haque: Our expatriate footballers are playing in various clubs around the world. If we can further raise the standard of Bangladesh’s domestic football and bring the clubs closer in competitiveness, the league’s appeal will grow. This is certainly possible in future. When we establish professionalism in every sector and club, ultimately we must go in that direction. If we can ensure the financial support our Bangladesh-origin players need, why wouldn’t they play in Bangladesh?

Hamza Choudhury’s case is entirely different. Given where he plays (the English Premier League), the capacity or reality to bring him to play in Bangladesh does not exist. But the most important thing is that they put Bangladesh first, representing the country on the field. I think if we can harness this domestic football renaissance, we can achieve much more in the future.

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