Former Bangladesh national football team captain and Dhaka Abahani Club legend Sheikh Mohammad Aslam has expressed serious concerns about the decline of sports in his hometown of Khulna, declaring the scene "dead." Though retired from professional football, Aslam remains deeply invested in the sport, both in the Khulna region and across Bangladesh. In an exclusive interview with UNB, Aslam reflected on the stark contrast between Khulna's once thriving sports culture and its current state. Read more: Women's Football League: Bangladesh Army taste first defeat losing to Suddopuskorini JSC 1-2 “I was brought to Khulna Stadium by my father and uncles as a child. The stadium was packed with fans,” he reminisced. "People loved football! It wasn't just football but also athletics, weightlifting, and various other events—Khulna had a legacy, a great reputation. We had talented Khulna players at every level. I salute all those who helped Khulna achieve national recognition. Today, I feel that place is totally gone. There is practically no sports in Khulna now.”

With the inception of cricket, football lost its appeal in Bangladesh. However, football was the 'first love' for all in the post-independence of Bangladesh. Today's generation will never know the madness of football in the 80s to 90s. In recent days, cricket grabbed that place. Nevertheless, few Bangladeshi footballers from this generation, such as Jamal Bhuyan and Mamunul Islam, have been trying to bring back those golden days. It is not sure if they can create the charm, but the 90s kind will never forget those days. Here we have listed 10 Bangladeshi footballers of all time, those who shined when needed.  Best Footballers in Bangladesh Monem Munna Munna is a legendary Bangladeshi player who took football to another level, both local and internal. Munna started football when he was in school at Narayanganj Zilla School. Later he joined Muktijoddha Sangsad KC in 1983 and started playing soccer professionally. He played for different clubs, including Brothers Union, Abahani Limited Dhaka, and Kolkata's East Bengal F.C. Besides, the clubs Munna also contributed to Bangladesh's national football team from 1986 to 1997. He was a captain of the Bangladesh national team three times. Under his captaincy, Bangladesh won its first-ever international trophy in 1995 in Myanmar. Also read: How to become a professional footballer in Bangladesh: An overall guideline Rumman Bin Wali Sabbir Sabbir was one of the top players in Bangladesh during the 1980s and 1990s. Besides club football, he also appeared in Bangladesh national football several times and played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds. Sabbir started his Pro football career with Mohammedan Sporting Club in 1987 and played a significant role in Mohammedan winning the Dhaka league title and Federation cup. In his national team appearance, Sabbir paired with Abahani striker Aslam and produced many important goals for Bangladesh. Due to his outstanding performance, Calcutta MSC invited him to play with them briefly in 1991. Read  Lionel Messi: The Argentine Football Star’s Most Unbreakable Records Sheikh Mohammad Aslam Mohammad Aslam was known as Aslam and was one of the most lethal strikers in Bangladesh during the 1980s and 1990s. He gained all his fame while playing for Abahani Krira Chakra, one of the top football clubs in Bangladesh. During his days with Abahani, Aslam was the top scorer in most of the season. Aslam's contribution to the national team started through his appearance in the National U-19 team in 1980. Later he was added to the regular national team and shined throughout the 1980s. Kaisar Hamid Kaisar Hamid was known for his central defending skills, and he was the top central defender in the 1980s and 1980s. He played for the Mohammedan and had a great performance for the club in the 1988–89 Asian Club Championship. Kaisar's role for the national team was undeniable, and in 2003 he achieved Bangladesh's National Sports Award. However, Hamid started his career with Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society as a right-wing back. Apart from Mohammedan, Hamid also played with Calcutta MSC in 1991. Read: Summer Window 2021: Five Potential Big Football Transfers  Jahid Hasan Ameli Ameli is holding the top scorer record for the Bangladesh national football team. Ameli played for several football clubs in his eventful career, including Abahani, Mohammedan, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, Muktijoddha Sangsad KS, and Sheikh Russel KC. Although Ameli played for five different clubs, he continued his outstanding playing with all clubs. Furthermore, he won the league title with two different clubs while achieving runner-up for two clubs. Aminul Haque Aminul Haque is considered as the "Greatest Goalkeeper of All Time of Bangladesh." Aminul started his football career with Mohammedan in 1994. However, he could not make the first eleven. Eventually, he left Mohammedan and joined Farashganj after trying with Mohammedan for two years. Later, Aminul played for Muktijoddha, Brothers Union, and Mohammedan. His incredible performance in 2004 drew attention to English Premier League football club Newcastle United, and they offered him to play. Unfortunately, the deal did not see the ray of hope due to miscommunication. However, he played for several international clubs in Malaysia, India, and Saudi Arabia. He showed some heroic performances for the national team. Aminul's most notable national appearance is against the Maldives at the finals of the 2003 SAFF Championship.  Read: How Can Bangladesh directly qualify for the world cup 2023? Biplob Bhattacharya Biplob started his career at 18 as a goalkeeper, who then served as goalkeeping coach. His club debut was with Arambagh KS in 1997, and he played six years before joining the Brothers Union in 2004. Later, he also played with Mohammedan, Abahani, and Sheikh Russel. In his first season, his fabulous performance with Arambagh landed him on the Bangladesh national football team in early 1997, and he played for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying. Later he played at the 2003 South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup. Further, he also appeared in many games for Bangladesh. Alfaz Ahmed Alfaz Ahmed had a long football career for years and is considered one of the finest Bangaddeshi strikers. He shined for both the national team and club games. His performance in 1995-1996 awarded him the "AFC's player of the month" as he scored four goals, including a hattrick in the AFC Cup. Alfaz also made several appearances for the national team, notably in Grand Royal Challenge Cup in Myanmar in 1995, then SAFF Games in Nepal in 1999, and 2003 South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup. Mamunul Islam Mamunul is the new sensation of Bangladesh' football. Born in 1988, Mamunul is playing for Dhaka Abahani Limited and on the active roster in the national football team. So far, he achieved five league titles with three different clubs. However, Mamunul Islam debuted with the Brothers Union; he played for six different local clubs and one Kolkata's club. However, Mamunul doesn't have any notable performance with the national team. Read The most famous Bangladeshi female athletes of all time. Jamal Bhuyan Jamal Harris Bhuyan is the role model for the current generation who watches football. This Denmark-born Bangladeshi player left his country of birth to play for the Bangladesh national football team and debuted in 2013 in the 2013 SAAF Championship. He is an active player and already contributed enormously to Bangladesh's football. With Jamal's help, Bangladesh reached the round of 16 in the 2018 Asian Games and which is the first time Bangladesh made the knockout stage in the Asian games. Bottom Line Bangladesh has passed its golden days in football. And it seems those days become a history that will not come back anytime soon. Still, we hope football will come back to life again. This is the wish that the football stadium will be full to the brim again. Read How to become a professional footballer in Bangladesh: An overall guideline.

Former national footballer Sheikh Mohammad Aslam has tested positive of Covid-19 along with a few members of his family, the former football-star confirmed to the media.