On the eve of Bangladesh’s Women’s SAFF Championship semi-final against Nepal, defender Shuli Azim received news of the death of her mother while she was in Goa with the national squad. Her mother, Basna Azim, passed away at the age of 45 due to kidney-related complications.
The news reached the team at around 5:00 am local time, prompting immediate disruption to the squad’s schedule. Bangladesh’s planned training session at 7:00 am was cancelled, and no training took place throughout the day. In the afternoon, the players visited the seaside, with Shuli Azim also accompanying the team.
According to Bangladesh team management, efforts were made to arrange Shuli Azim’s immediate return to Bangladesh to attend her mother’s funeral. However, logistical complications involving flight availability from Goa and the required travel time made it impossible for her to travel in time.
Team manager Khalid Mahmud told our representative
that calculations showed Shuli Azim would reach Dhaka at approximately 12:00 noon the following day. From Dhaka, it would take an additional three to four hours to reach Kolshindur in Mymensingh’s Dhobaura area. Given these constraints, it was not feasible to preserve the body for that duration, and the funeral proceeded without her presence.
A representative of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) was sent to Kolshindur to stand by the bereaved family. Shuli Azim has three brothers and one sister.
Shuli Azim had already missed Bangladesh’s opening match against Maldives due to chest pain upon arriving in Goa. She later appeared as a substitute in the match against India. The family home is located in the remote Kolshindur area of Dhobaura, Mymensingh, a region known for producing several women footballers who have progressed from grassroots football to the national level.
Her mother, Basna Azim, had long supported her daughter’s journey into football despite various challenges, as part of the broader development of women’s footballers emerging from Kolshindur.
Timeline of Events
| Time/Stage | Event |
|---|---|
| 5:00 am | Shuli Azim receives news of her mother’s death |
| 7:00 am | Scheduled training session cancelled |
| Morning–Afternoon | Attempts made to arrange travel to Bangladesh |
| Afternoon | Players visit seaside; Shuli Azim present with team |
| Following day (planned) | Estimated arrival in Dhaka at 12:00 noon, making attendance at funeral impossible |
| Same day | Funeral of Basna Azim conducted in Kolshindur without Shuli Azim |
The sequence of events highlights the overlap between international sporting commitments and urgent family circumstances during Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament in Goa.