We know a person, who jokes, if he is not in Dhaka, either he is in Faridpur or in Singapore.

Singapore was the first country I had ever made a foreign trip to 15 years back.

The SQ flight had touched the Changi airport very early in the morning. Still the sun did not rise when we had boarded Conrad Centennial Singapore Hotel.

I was very excited as it was my first visit to a foreign land. Also, it was my first lodging to a 5-star hotel about which experience here in Dhaka had been only limited within attending functions or having lunch or dinner in their posh restaurants.

After sometimes I was delivered the day’s dailies. Top of my attention was Straits Times that carried the lead item about Singapore’s dream and plan to play football world cup.

It was 1999 and the city state announced a 50-year plan for a berth to the greatest show on the earth.

Their plan came to my mind once again when we couple of years ago heard that Bangladesh want to play the 2022 Qatar world cup football.

Singapore’s berth to the world cup is still a far cry as they stand in 149-155 in Fifa ranking in last 12 months.

Still, they have 35 years more to make their dream comes to true.

On the other hand, Bangladesh’s position in Fifa ranking is 162-168 in last one year. And for Bangladesh Football Federation it is only eight years to go.

Even a child of this country believes Bangladesh’s berth to the world cup is next to impossible in near or distant future.

But, it does not mean the football-crazy nation will not dream of advancement in soccer.

There are many former and current footballers, experts and organizers who cam make dozens of recommendations for a re-birth of Bangladesh football when the galleries had remained jam-pack not only in international tournaments, but also in league matches.

As unearthed by sports journalist and researcher, Dulal Mahmud, the Dhaka football league steps into 100th years in 2015.

Mahmud did not run after popular writing on Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara, about whom countless books were published in their countries and elsewhere in the world. Rather, he concentrates on research on past glories of Bangladesh sports.

Dulal Mahmud has many such books to his credit.

And the latest one on the then East Pakistan’s players in Pakistan national teams, showed that football league in Dhaka began in 1915.

Why the BFF should not take a plan to exploit the 100 years’ celebration of Dhaka football league as an occasion of resurrection of Bangladesh football!

BDST: 1133  HRS, JUL 17,2014