United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s first and only English Premier League-playing footballer Hamza Dewan Choudhury left the country for Manchester Thursday noon by a Bangladesh Biman flight, to join his club Sheffield United. He left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka for Sylhet at 9:45am and from there he again flew for Manchester at 11:45am by the same flight. On the eve of  his departure, Hamza Choudhury thanked the soccer crazy Bangladeshi fans for their warm reception and said he will come again Bangladesh to play their AFC Asian Cup qualifiers home match against Singapore on June 10. Bangladesh football team returns home from India on Wednesday after playing  AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Hamza arrived in  Sylhet on March 17 amid huge enthusiasm among the soccer loving fans to play for Bangladesh national football team in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against India in Shillong on March 25 and spent 10 days in Bangladesh and India with celebrating mood. After reaching the Sylhet Airport on March 17 at noon, Hamza directly moved to his village home in Shnangath under the Bahubal Upazilla of Habiganj on the same day. On the following day (March 18), Hamza left Habiganj for Dhaka to join the national team’s camp, he addressed the Bangladesh team’s official press on March 19 at a local hotel alongside head coach Javier Cabrera  and captain Jamal Bhuyan before flying for Indian hill city on Shillong on March 20. AFC Asian Cup: Hamza's Bangladesh dominate India in Shillong but waste chances as game ends goalless Hamza was the main inspiration and engine of the Bangladesh team in their first and away Group C match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against India last Tuesday which ended in a goalless draw after spoiling four to five good chances. In the match, Hamza also guarded properly Indian celebrated footballer Sunil Chhetri, who returned back to the Indian national team from retirement to play against Bangladesh and made him inactive all through the match as result Sunil Chhetri was replaced in the 81st minute of the match.

Bangladeshi-origin English Premier League footballer Hamza Dewan Chowdhury, who is included in the 30-member Bangladesh preliminary squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers, expressed hope that they will win the ensuing match against India. “It is amazing, amazing, I am very excited to come here after 11 years, I do hope, Inshallah, we will be able to win against India in the ensuing match on March 25”, he said in an immediate reaction after his arrival at Sylhet Osmani International Airport. Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) officials welcomed him with flowers. Executive members of the BFF including Sakhawat Hossain Bhuiyan Shahin, Kamrul Islam Hilton, Golam Ghaus, Iqbal Hossain, Satyajit Das Rupu, Imtiaz Hamid Sabuj, and Manjurul Karim, were present at the airport. Hamza Chowdhury arrives in Bangladesh Hamza's father Morshed Dewan Chowdhury  accompanied him. Murshed Chowdhury said Hamza wears the red-green jersey out of deep love for the country. He said if other players of Bangladeshi origin follow Hamza's example and return home, Bangladesh could have a chance to represent the nation in the 2030 World Cup. From the airport, Hamza travelled to his village home in Bahubal upazila, Habiganj. After spending one or two days at his village home, Hamza will travel to Dhaka on either Tuesday or Wednesday to join the Bangladesh national football team camp. Hamza will attend the Bangladesh team's official press conference at the team hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday (March 19), where he will address the press alongside the team coach and captain. The full squad of the Bangladesh national team including Hamza Chowdhury, is expected to have their final practice session on Wednesday afternoon or evening, following the team’s official photo session. BFF names UCB as sponsor of National Men’s Football team for next five years The national team will fly to Kolkata on Thursday morning (March 20) en route to Shillong for their AFC Asian Cup Qualifier match against India on March 25. Earlier, the Bangladesh football team reached the Saudi Arabian city of Taif about two weeks ago to undergo a 12-day intensive training for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers match against India. Hamza is scheduled to return to London on March 28.