Abahani field no longer belongs to Abahani Club
Photo: Agamir Somoy
Although referred to as "Dhanmondi Cricket Ground" in the official memorandum of understanding, the venue widely known as Abahani Field will no longer remain with the traditional Abahani Club. The Ministry of Housing and Public Works has canceled the lease and handed over the ground to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, which will now maintain, preserve, and open the field to the general public.
Similarly, the management of Dhanmondi Club Limited's field has also been transferred to the Ministry of Youth and Sports by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works following a memorandum of understanding signed between the two ministries today.
Following the signing, Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Obaidur Rahman, told reporters, "Abahani Club has outstanding fees for two years over using the field. They have not paid the fees since 2023. A receipt for the 2024 fee submission is available, but the fee was submitted after the contract was canceled."
The Dhanmondi field had originally been leased to Abahani Club for 99 years. The ministry claimed that the lease was revoked due to two consecutive years of unpaid dues.
No officials from Abahani Club agreed to comment on losing control of the field. Requesting anonymity, one official said, "We do not want to invite the wrath of the government by speaking on this issue."
Zakaria Taher, Minister of Housing and Public Works, claimed, "They constructed structures on the Dhanmondi field without seeking any permission from us or RAJUK." The construction of the Sheikh Kamal Sports Complex had been underway since 2022, which included a residential building for players.
Recalling his own playing days on the field, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque said, "I trained on both the Dhanmondi field—known as Abahani field—and the Dhanmondi Road 8 field. I want to prioritize sports activities on both grounds."
Abahani held their training sessions on this field last season. Photo: Mosharraf Hossain
He added, "You have seen the anger among the youth following the July mass uprising over how Abahani and Dhanmondi Club were politicized over the past 17 years. We believe both clubs have rich traditions that must be preserved. Those associated with autocracy do not belong to the club; the real members should run it."
Construction on the Sheikh Kamal Sports Complex at Abahani Club has remained halted since August 5, 2024. However, the State Minister clarified that he does not intend to demolish the existing infrastructure: "We do not want to tear down the structures. We will arrange to manage the venue smoothly for everyone while keeping them intact. Rather than focusing solely on the lease cancellation, I have spoken about running the club properly involving all genuine stakeholders."
