The Bangladesh Football Ultras, a passionate supporters group of the national football team, continued their sit-in protest for the second consecutive day in front of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) headquarters, demanding tickets for the upcoming Asian Cup Qualifier against Singapore on June 10.

A few expatriates have made their way into Bangladesh football in recent times, with Canada-based Shamit Shome being the latest addition after England-based Hamza Choudhury, Fahamedul Islam from Italy, Finland-based Tarik Kazi, and Denmark-based Jamal Bhuiyan.

Hamza Choudhury thanked everyone for a grand reception and expressed optimism about being "successful" in the Bangladesh team's upcoming Asian Cup Qualifying match against Singapore on June 10 after landing in Dhaka today.

The English Premier League-bred midfielder made his debut for Bangladesh against India during the Asian Cup qualifiers in Shillong. The match ended in a goalless draw, with Hamza earning praise for his standout performance.

The Bangladesh national football team is set to begin preparations from Saturday for two upcoming international fixtures, with 26 players joining camp at the Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka.

The Bangladesh national football team are likely to face a European opponent during the upcoming FIFA international window from September 1–9.

The national team received a boost with the addition of midfielder Shamit Shome, who joins star player Hamza Choudhury in the middle of the park.

With so much to look forward to, Bangladeshi football fans are counting the days left to face Singapore.

BFF's women’s team squad post became a surprising hotspot for ticket-related complaints.

Regis Le Bris' side trailed to Tyrese Campbell's first half goal at Wembley, but Eliezer Mayenda equalised in the closing stages before Watson delivered the priceless last-gasp winner.

United will face the winner of the second semi-final in the May 24 English second-tier playoff decider at Wembley with Sunderland leading Coventry City 2-1 ahead of the second leg of their tie at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday.

Canada-based midfielder Shamit Shome has been cleared by FIFA to play for Bangladesh, Bangladesh Football Federation vice president Fahad Karim confirmed to The Daily Star today. 

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is working towards staging the high-profile clash at the 22,000-capacity stadium.

Bangladesh star Hamza Choudhury was involved in a heated altercation while Burnley fans stormed the pitch to celebrate a Premier League return.   

Following Sheffield United midfielder Hamza Choudhury’s debut for Bangladesh against India last month, interest among expatriate footballers in representing the national team has seen a notable rise. Canada-based midfielder Shamit Shome has already expressed his desire to play for Bangladesh.

The National Sports Council (NSC) has called upon all federations in the country to integrate high-skilled athletes of Bangladeshi origin and encourage them to represent Bangladesh. 

According to the long-serving captain, the most notable transformation since Hamza’s arrival has been a dramatic rise in team confidence.

The encounter brought together two sides with contrasting ambitions -- Sheffield chasing a return to the Premier League, and Plymouth battling to avoid relegation.

The 26-year-old Hamza, who recently made his debut for Bangladesh in their AFC Cup fixture against India in Shillong, has been a regular starter for the Blades.

Jamal Bhuiyan, the most-capped player in Bangladesh’s history, is slowly becoming a peripheral figure in the team despite being the captain. To know his views on this issue and his overall plans in football, The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman and Atique Anam caught up with the Denmark-born midfielder. Following are the excerpts of the interview.