From my point of view: “It doesn’t matter whether we are boys or girls; when we are on the field with our jerseys, we are all playing for the same team, we are playing for the country.”

Interviewed by: Shararat Islam, UN Women Bangladesh

I always wanted to become a cricketer. Back then, in Lalmonirhut, a district in northern Bangladesh, dreaming of becoming a cricketer seemed like an unrealistic dream, especially for a girl in the days when there wasn’t even a women’s team. But that didn’t stop me.

My father, a banker, and my mother, a school principal, encouraged me in every way possible. It was my mother who first told me about Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP), the national institute of sports education in Dhaka. Although BKSP did not offer women’s cricket at the time, they allowed me to take admission in shooting.

But cricket remained my passion. When women’s cricket finally started in Dhaka in 2007, I grabbed the opportunity. I joined the national team after completing my HSC exams, despite scepticism and questions from relatives and neighbours. They didn’t understand how cricket could be a career for a girl. My younger cousins ​​were getting married when I was playing cricket. Still, my parents supported me, even though doubts sometimes crept in.

The journey was not easy. There were hardly any matches for the women’s team and we often remained inactive for months. We had to train with the boys. Some academies even refused to let us train. One of the most difficult moments was in 2012, when I was dropped from the team because I got married. Despite my great fitness, our coach considered marriage a disqualifying factor. It was a hard blow that made me sink into depression.

But I didn’t want to give up. Cricket was all I wanted, so I fought harder than ever. I started training harder, pushing my limits, losing weight and proving my worth on the field. In 2013, I returned to the game, breaking records and reclaiming my place as queen of the field. The challenges persisted, even after becoming a mother. I played during my first trimester and came back three months after my daughter was born. It wasn’t easy, but my love for the game fueled my determination.

I have explored all areas of cricket, from hosting television shows to commentating on national and international matches, without ever straying from my passion. In 2009, I even passed the refereeing test, but I didn’t find any opportunities.

In 2022, seeing women referees from Pakistan, UAE and Malaysia at the Asia Cup lit a fire in me. I started refereeing, starting with divisional matches with men’s teams. I even went to India to referee in T20s. Eventually, when I refereed in a national premier league with the men’s team, the reaction started. I stuck it out because like me, there are now three other women referees in line, paving the way for other aspiring girls.

Cricket is my one true love. It keeps me alive with the joy and excitement on the field. I firmly believe that everyone, irrespective of gender, should play sports. Sports nourish us not only physically but also mentally, teaching valuable lessons about teamwork, empathy, resilience and the importance of never giving up.

One of the things I like about umpiring is that the fees are the same for all matches, thanks to the Bangladesh Cricket Board. This shows that, regardless of our gender, we are all valued equally on the field. This is something we could also do for cricket teams. It doesn’t matter whether we are boys or girls; when we are on the pitch with our jerseys, we all play for the same team, for the same country. But even though we play the same, we still aren’t paid the same or treated with the same respect. I understand that ensuring equal pay is a longer process, but my message to the sports industry is clear: treat everyone with the same respect, regardless of gender.