The clock is ticking, and the time is getting closer. Hamza Chowdhury’s much-anticipated arrival in Bangladesh is fast approaching. If everything goes as planned, he will play a match with Sheffield Wednesday in the UK on March 16 (local time) and will catch a flight to Sylhet that night, arriving on March 17.
Hamza has been to Bangladesh before, but this visit is special. He is coming to the country for the first time as a player for the Bangladesh national football team. For this memorable trip, he will be accompanied by nine people.
Hamza will be traveling with his mother, wife, three children, and two brothers. His father has already arrived. Hamza wishes that his family will be present in the stadium to witness his debut match in the Bangladesh jersey. On March 25, Bangladesh will face India in the AFC Asian Championship qualifiers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.
In addition to his family from the UK, some friends from Sylhet might also join Hamza to watch his debut for Bangladesh. However, the news published in the media about Hamza bringing a physiotherapist from England is not accurate. The vice-president of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), Fahad Karim, clarified, “Hamza has not mentioned anything like this to us.”
Hamza is scheduled to land in Sylhet on March 17 and head straight to his family’s home in Hobiganj. He is currently playing on loan for Sheffield United in the Championship, after spending many years with Leicester City in the Premier League. After arriving in Sylhet on March 17, he plans to spend the night at his family home.
Hamza might stay in Sylhet until March 18, or he could take the evening flight to Dhaka. The exact details are not confirmed yet. Fahad Karim mentioned, “Hamza could come to Dhaka on March 18 or even the morning of March 19. It depends on him.”
On the afternoon of March 19, the Bangladesh team’s official press conference is scheduled at the team hotel, where the coach, captain, and Hamza will speak. A team photo session will take place in the morning, followed by practice in the afternoon or evening. Fahad Karim added, “We want Hamza to have at least one practice session here, but whether it’s training or gym, that will be up to the coach. We will see how it goes.”
Although the match against India is scheduled for March 25, coach Javier Cabrera wants the team to travel to Shillong on March 20. The BFF is fulfilling his request, and the Bangladesh team will fly to Shillong via Kolkata on the morning of March 20. With limited time before departure, there won’t be any formal reception for Hamza. Fahad Karim explained, “If he had come directly to Dhaka, we could have arranged a reception, but with the limited time, it’s not possible now.”
