Bangladesh women's football team right winger Shanjida Akhter accepted an offer to play for East Bengal FC of Kolkata in the ongoing Indian Women’s Football League (IWL).
Shanjida is waiting for visa clearance and to join her national team captain Sabina Khatun left for India to play for the second-placed Kickstart FC in the same league on Monday.
After Sabina Khatun, one of the vital member of the Bangladesh national women team, Shanjida Akhter made a three months deal with the Kolkata giants East Bengal.
Sanjida made the agreement for TK three lakh in her three months contract.
Sanjida, who first played Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup Football Tournament for Kolsindhur Govt. Primary School, Mymensingh, then he was only a 10 years old girl in 2011.
The right winger then selected for the Bangladesh U-14 women national side in 2013 and proved her talent with scoring four goals from four matches.
Sanjida then could has been not look back, as she was chosen for the U-16 team in 2014, the attacking midfielder became successful in this arena. In 2018 Shanjida was included in the U-19 team and played nine matches. She became the one of the important players for the team.
Shanjida also played in the domestic league for the Bashundhara Kings women football team in 2020, where she scored 12 goals from 29 outings. The right winger played 29 matches for the national team since 2016.
Back in the 1990s, the country’s top male footballers played for the Kolkata East Begal team when Momen Munna, Sheikh Mohammad Aslam, Kaiser Hamid, Rummon Bin Wali Sabbir, Golam Gaus, Rizvi Karim, and Mahbubur Rahman Roxi were regulars in the Kolkata-based football league.
The signing of Bangladeshi female footballers by Indian clubs is a positive sign for the country's women’s football, as the door may be opened for them to have new platforms to play in the overseas league.
