Md Anwar Ullah
The Sonali Otit Club, Munna Smirity Sangha and football fans remembered the former national football star Monem Munna with offering prayers at the graveyard on his 17 death anniversary on Saturday in Bandar, Narayanganj.
Meanwhile, the Sonali Otit Club of Narayanganj and District Sports Association will organise a Doa Mahfil Tuesday (tomorrow) memorizing Munna, the golden boy of Narayanganj.
The legendary footballer died of kidney failures in a hospital in Dhaka on February 12, 2005 after having long treatment in Bengaluru, India.
Golam Gaus, another former national football star from Narayanganj informed this correspondence on Saturday that they have already visited Munna’s graveyard at the morning and offered prayers accompanied by a large number of football fans.
Gaus, who was also once a team-mate of Munna both in Abahani and played for East Bengal Club, Kolkata informed that they are also organizing a Doa Mahfil and discussion ceremony tomorrow memorizing Munna in Naraynaganj.
However, this reporter had the opportunity to watch Munna from very close by virtue of once being his neighbor and had a very good relation with Munna and had also some good time with the star footballer during his playing life and after retirement.
There were so many stars came into sight in Bangladesh football but all of them were not equally brilliant or celebrated to have fame as all times ‘Super Stars’ after their name.
Undoubtedly Kazi Salahuddin was the first and the lone name having the tag of super star and then none but Monem Munna could go to his height and would be on top alongside Salahuddin in country’s soccer history.
With due respect, there is no way to diverge that despite some players had the star value but Salahuddin and Munna are above all, who really more popular than others during and after their football life.
Monem Munna, was the man of Narayanganj, during pioneer stage tipped off that once this little booter would be great footballer, as he had not wait a much to become in the top level and making room in the big teams, though most of his top level career he played for Abahani Limited.
Munna, proved his extra caliber when he played for Kolkata East Bengal in 1991 to 93 and became equal popular in both part of Bengal.
It is very much rare in the world soccer that any of the booters playing as defender could earn such a popularity.
Munna was also very much known as a man of strong personality when he always adored to talk straightforward not avoiding the truth and for that personally somebody did not like him much but as a player, there were no question that a quality booter was produced very rare in Bangladesh.
Munna, who spent most of his playing career in the country’s top flight competitions in Abahani tent, led the team to win so many trophies when he played for national team since 1986 to 1997.
Bangladesh won the first international football trophy under the captaincy of Munna in 1995 in Myanmar.
But it was too much shocking that one off all times best Munna left for ever when he was only 38 years old.
