‘Plaantik: An Anthology of Bangladesh’s Football Culture’ takes us back to the glory days of Bangladesh’s football history
Football is associated with passion, emotion, excitement and dedication around the world. It has historically been capable of achieving what politics and diplomacy have consistently failed to do: inspiring a sense of unity among groups of people that are profoundly fragmented and diversified. Although it might not be apparent on the surface, the emotion around the sport in Bangladesh is deep-rooted in the nation’s historical roots. From the factory worker to the businessman, the universities to the village pitches across the country, Bangladesh’s national football team represented the hopes and dreams of a nation founded by blood. Right now, in the midst of the FIFA World Cup 2022, any outsider might feel perplexed with the kind of engagement people across Bangladesh have with the tournament, even though we are light years away from qualifying in it. However, this is not a new-found passion; rather, a glorious past of football in Bangladesh drives football-loving people to be engaged in the greatest show on earth. Thanks to one of Bangladesh’s most renowned football media platforms Plaantik, the glory and emotion have come alive on the pages of a book titled, Plaantik: An Anthology of Bangladesh’s Football Culture.
The book boasts a star-studded list of authors that include the Bangladesh men’s and women’s national team captains Jamal Bhuyan and Sabina Khatun; the British Bangladeshi contingent of Leicester’s Watford loanee Hamza Choudhury, former West Ham defender Anwar Uddin MBE, presenter Reshmin Chowdhury, FA coach Taff Rahman; former Bangladesh head coach Jamie Day; former ESPNStar Sportspresenter Andy Penders; Bangladeshi Canadian footballer Shamit Shome; former The Daily Star sports journalist Quazi Zulquarnain; ESPNcricinfo’s Mohammad Isam; and many more.
Thanks to one of Bangladesh’s most renowned football media platforms Plaantik, the glory and emotion have come alive on the pages of a book titled, Plaantik: An Anthology of Bangladesh’s Football Culture.
Established in 2011, Plaantik has built a community of hundreds of thousands of followers online and produces original material and curates top football content for the world to consume. From daily football updates to internet documentaries to in-person events, Plaantik aims to provide a 360-experience for the modern football fan.
“From the glory days of domestic football of the 1980s to the age-old Brazil-Argentina rivalry, from our distinctive way of celebrating World Cups to the fandom around club football, Bangladesh has formed its own unique football DNA that covers the streets of Dhaka to the rural parts of the country”, said Abir Ahmed Chowdhury, co-founder of Plaantik, upon the launch of the book. “We wanted to tell these stories through the book in such a way that a Bangladeshi football fan reading this would find it informative and nostalgic, while for others, it will be a portal to experience football in Bangladesh through a different lens”, he continued.
Over the years, Plaantik noticed how the rest of the world had little to no idea about the dynamic football culture that Bangladesh has to offer and thus felt compelled to document these stories and tell them to a global audience. It all then made sense to write a book – in the form of an anthology – about the culture and subcultures of Bangladesh football. Each story in the book is like a puzzle piece. As you read through, you keep adding to the bigger picture of a landscape showing you where Bangladesh football is today.
Tawsif Akkas, another co-founder of Plaantik, believes the book to be an important milestone for Plaantik. “Publishing a book to tell football stories is a substantial landmark for Plaantik because, over the decade, we have primarily been creating original content for the internet. This not only helps us diversify our audience and build credibility, but we believe the book will also allow us to build a bridge between Bangladesh football and the rest of the world. It’s an incredible achievement for Plaantik to be able to facilitate this”, said Tawsif.
Plaantik’s co-founders Abir Ahmed Chowdhury and Tawsif Akkas conceived the idea and are both Chief Editors of the book. There are several others behind the book, including a team of writers, senior and associate editors, and those behind operations and day-to-day management of this six-month-long project.
Dhaka Tribune is the editorial partner for the book, with Zafar Sobhan, the Founder and Editor of the Dhaka Tribune, being the Managing Editor for the book. NDE Sports Facility and Footy Hags have jointly sponsored the book, and it has been published by The Mighty Press.
The book is crafted in such a way that a Bangladeshi football fan reading this will find it informative and nostalgic, while for others, it will be a portal to experience football in Bangladesh through a unique lens. While this book is largely representative and provides a unique snapshot of what the culture has to offer, it also should not be considered the be-all-end-all guide to Bangladesh football. The book aims to become a relic in the country’s football culture timeline and a conduit for the global audience to learn more about a community of passionate lovers of the sport who hardly ever make it to the news.
You can order your copy of Plaantik: An Anthology of Bangladesh’s Football Culture by visiting plaantik.com/book
Photographs: Courtesy of Plaantik