Women’s Football Match in Bangladesh Canceled Amid Protests by Religious School Students

In a troubling development for women’s sports in Bangladesh, a friendly football match in the northwestern city of Joypurhat has been canceled following vandalism at the venue, Al Jazeera reports.

Local organizers reported that the facilities were damaged during protests led by students from a traditional religious school.

The match was set to feature the district women’s team from Joypurhat against a team from nearby Rangpur. However, the headmaster of the local religious school, Abu Bakkar Siddique, confirmed that he had participated in the demonstration alongside students and staff from several other religious institutions.

This was not an isolated incident; just a day prior, a similar match in the nearby city of Dinajpur was postponed due to protests from groups wielding sticks.

During that incident, clashes between protesters and counterdemonstrators resulted in four people being injured, although all have since been discharged from the hospital, according to local government officer Amit Roy.