Tanned by summer heat, tuned by a season of relentless graft at Sheffield United, and tested by rollercoaster ride with Bangladesh, the 26-year-old returned to the club where his footballing identity was forged.

About 10 years ago, in 2015, the Bangladesh national football team suffered a 2-1 defeat to Singapore in a FIFA friendly match. Tuesday’s identical 2-1 defeat to the same opponent in the Asian Cup Qualifiers at the same ground gives the impression that the men in red and green have remained in the same place they were a decade ago -- despite the inclusion of expatriate players like Hamza Choudhury and Shamit Shome.

Bangladesh’s 2-1 defeat to Singapore in the Asian Cup Qualifiers wasn’t just a defeat -- it was a missed opportunity to build something better with the right tools finally in hand. And that’s exactly what former striker and Mohammedan’s league-winning coach Alfaz Ahmed is talking about: we finally have the parts, but we don’t know how to assemble the machine.

Bangladesh midfielder Shamit Shome expressed his disappointment following his side’s 2-1 defeat to Singapore in an AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture at the National Stadium on Tuesday but remained optimistic about the future of Bangladesh football.

Just hours after Bangladesh’s defeat against Singapore in an AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture, coach Javier Cabrera as well as foreign-born players -- Hamza Choudhury and Shamit Shome -- departed Dhaka, confirmed a key member of the team’s management.

“Not the result we wanted! But we can be proud as a team and as a nation!! We need to stay positive because we’re only just getting started and inshaAllah we will be where we want to be very soon!” Hamza wrote in a heartfelt social media post after the match.

Anticipation was high, yet the scenes at the newly renovated National Stadium still amazed as the entire premises transformed into a sea of white -- the color of Bangladesh’s home jersey -- as Bangladesh prepared to face Singapore in a much-hyped Asian Cup Qualifier yesterday.

When was the last time you saw more than 23000 people packed into a stadium for a Bangladesh football match? When did fans last beg for tickets, attempt to break through gates, and prompt an army intervention?

Despite a 2-0 defeat to Singapore in their Asian Cup Qualifiers encounter at the National Stadium on Tuesday, Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera insisted his side was the better team and described the result as deeply disappointing.

Bangladesh forward Rakib Hossain found the net but the men in red and green couldn't score more as they lost 2-1 against Singapore in their Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday. 

With more than three hours to go before kick-off in the highly-anticipated Asian Cup Qualifier between Bangladesh and Singapore, the newly renovated National Stadium is already transforming into a sea of white -- the colour of Bangladesh's home jersey.

The Daily Star’s Ekush Tapadar, Anisur Rahman, and Atique Anam delve into Bangladesh’s prospects in this much-anticipated encounter, examine the influence of these high-profile players on the national team and address the persistent issues crippling the country's domestic football.

Bangladesh footballers offered Eid-ul-Adha prayer together at a mosque in the capital today.

It was football’s way of telling a story without words.

Hamza Choudhury’s presence clearly made a difference in Bangladesh’s 2-0 win over Bhutan in a FIFA friendly at the National Stadium on Wednesday, and that fact was made clear by what Bhutan coach Atsushi Nakamura had to say following the game.

The midfielder’s dynamic 45-minute display was met with roaring applause, as fans relished his every touch.

Bangladesh football star Hamza Choudhury marked his home debut in style, scoring an early goal to help the men in red and green secure a 2-0 victory over Bhutan in a FIFA friendly at the National Stadium on Wednesday.

Bangladesh's star midfielder Hamza Choudhury found the net as the men in red and green secured a 2-0 win over Bhutan in a FIFA friendly at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday. 

Bangladesh’s star midfielder Hamza Choudhury did not disappoint the horde of fans who showed up to witness the 27-year-old’s home debut as he marked the occasion with his first goal for the men in red and green in a FIFA friendly against Bhutan at the National Stadium on Wednesday.

Bangladesh star midfielder Hamza Choudhury marked his home debut in style, scoring in the sixth minute to give the men in red and green an early lead in their FIFA friendly against Bhutan at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday.