Rahmatganj MFS

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Rahmatganj MFS
Full nameRahmatganj Muslim Friends Society
Founded1933; 91 years ago (1933)
GroundShaheed Bir Sreshtho Flight Lt. Matiur Rahman Stadium, Munshigonj
Capacity10,000
ChairmanHaji Tipu Sultan
Head coachKamal Babu
LeagueBangladesh Premier League
2023–24BPL, 9th of 10
Current season

Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society (Bengali : রহমতগঞ্জ মুসলিম ফ্রেন্ডস সোসাইটি) is a Bangladeshi professional football club[1][2] based in Old Dhaka. Founded in 1933, the club is currently competing in the Bangladesh Premier League. It was also a team of Bangladesh Championship League,[3] until gaining promotion in the 2014 season. Haji Tipu Sultan is the current president and Haji Humayun Kabir is the general secretary.

History

Early years (1933–1965)

Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society was founded in January 1933 in Old Dhaka, during the British regime. The club's founder, Abul Kashem Shaheb, was a resident of the Rahmatganj area in Old Dhaka. The other founding members were Alauddin, Md. Azam, Ahmad Hossain, Md. Sadek, and Abu Saeed from Imamganj. Abdus Sobhan and Md. Kashem served as the club's first president and general secretary, respectively. Originally, the club operated as a social service institution, but gradually it became involved in sports. As a result, the club began participating in various football tournaments held in Dhaka, forming a team with the area's youth.[4]

In 1950, Md. Kashem, held a meeting with the general Secretary of Dhaka District Sports Association at the time, Khawaja Ajmal Saheb, and arranged the fee required to enter the Second Division. The club remained active in the league throughout the decade, nonetheless, were eventually relegated as they were unable to form a stable team. In 1963, under preseident Md. Aref Mia Sardar and general secretary M.A. Awal, the club became champions of the Third Division.[4]

In 1964, the club formed a team with the help of Jahangir Faiz Saheb from Dhaka Hall, which included university students M.M. Sharif, Ramzan Ali, Montu Abzan Khan, Abdul Aziz, and captain Baharuddin. The team went on to become Second Division champions, securing its promotion to the First Division.[5][6]

The First Division era (1965–1993)

Manjur Murshid Gauss (left) of Rahmatganj MFS and Pratul Hashimuddin (right) of EPIDC during a First Division League game in 1968.

In 1965, the club entered the First Division under the captaincy of QM Rafique Dipu.[4] On May 17, they began their top-tier journey with a 0–7 defeat to defending champions Victoria SC. The club finished their inaugural season in the First Division in tenth place. They consistently finished in fifth place for three consecutive seasons, from 1966 to 1968. Notable players who played for the club during this time included Sultan Ahmed, Mohammed Kaikobad, Golam Sarwar Tipu, Manjur Murshid Gauss, Shajahan Alam, and Scooter Gafoor, among others. The club first participated in the Aga Khan Gold Cup in 1966 under the captaincy of Shajahan Alam. During the tournament, the club defeated the West Pakistan Government Press but suffered a defeat to Ceylon, which ultimately prevented them from reaching the Round-robin league of the tournament. The club finished in fourth and fifth places in 1969 and 1970, respectively.[6]

Following the Independence of Bangladesh, the club was coached by Noor Hossain, a physical education teacher at Jagannath College.[4] In 1973, Rahmatganj participated in the Bordoloi Trophy held in Guwahati, India.[6] The team included club captain Sultan Ahmed and several guest players from different local clubs, such as Nowsheruzzaman, Sharifuzzaman, Enayetur Rahman and Zakaria Pintoo. The club finished in third-place in the 1973 season, the first completed season since the country's liberation. In 1977, the club enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in its history, finishing as runners-up behind Dhaka Abahani in both the league and the Liberation Cup. In the first leg of the league's title-deciding game, Rahmatganj earned a 0–0 draw with Abahani. However, in the return game held on 22 September, the club, down to ten men after Salahuddin Kala[7] was sent off, suffered a 1–3 defeat, despite Hassan Ahmedul Haque giving them the lead.[8][9]

In 1978, Wazed Gazi took over the club's head coach duties from Noor Hossain and served until 1983.[10] During this time, the club finished third in the league in both 1982 and 1984, the latter under coach Abdur Rahim. Rahim remained at the post until 1986, after which the club would enjoy regular mid-table finishes.[11] In 1992, they finished fifth in the league, which qualified them, along with that season's top ten teams, to become founding members of the newly introduced top-tier league the following year, the Premier Division.[12]

Yo-yo years (1993–2007)

Relegation to the First Division came after the club finished ninth with thirteen points from eighteen games during the inaugural edition of the Premier Division in 1993.[13] This marked the end of Rahmatganj's 28-year stay in the top flight. In 1994, under the captaincy of Mohammed Aman, the club became First Division champions and returned to the top-flight on their first attempt.[14]

In 2001, with the help of star-striker Saifur Rahman Moni, Rahmatganj finished the league season in third-place, six points off the eventual champions, Dhaka Abahani. Moni departed for Muktijoddha Sangsad KC in 2002, and the club suffered relegation the same year, finishing second from bottom with fourteen points from thirteen league games. In 2004, while remaining a First Division team, the club reached the quarter-finals of the Federation Cup, where they were defeated 1–2 by Muktijoddha.[15]

Eventually, the would gain promotion back to the top-division in 2005 as champions of the First Division with thirty three points from fourteen league games.[16] Their only defeat that season came at the hand of BRTC Sports Club, losing 1–2 at the BSSS Mostafa Kamal Stadium on 11 July.[17]

Initially, with the introduction of the country's first professional football league, the Bangladesh Premier League (introduced as B.League), in 2007, the club was set to participate in the Senior Division, a merger of the Premier and First Divisions, serving as the second-tier.[18] However, following the withdrawal of Faridpur FA from the new top tier, Rahmatganj was given a place in the professional league as champions of the 2004–05 First Division.[19]

Professional league era (2007–present)

The club participated in the inaugural professional league season season under coach Abdul Motaleb and was led by captain Shoyeb Hossain Sony.[5] On March 3, 2007, they began their league journey with a 0–2 defeat to Khulna Abahani, in a match where Khulna's Prashanta Dey made history by scoring the league's first-ever goal.[20] On March 28, Hanif Pradhan scored the club's first league goal during a 1–4 defeat to Muktijoddha Sangsad KC.[21] The club finally won a league game on matchday twelve, defeating Arambagh KS 2–1 in a game held on June 2. The club eventually finished at the bottom of the league with thirteen points from twenty games. However, they remained in the top flight as the league introduced a relegation system starting from the 2009–10 season.[22]

Eventually, Rahmatganj would be relegated from the league in the 2012 season finishing botton of the table with only nine points from twenty games.[14] The club would also be investigated by the Bangladesh Football Federation due to match-fixing allegations, nonetheless, the Federation failed to find any incriminating evidence against them.[23][24] Rahmatganj would enter the country's second-tier professional league, the Bangladesh Championship League in 2013. The club would miss out on promotion after finishing third, six points off of second-place Uttar Baridhara.[25] The club would eventually return to the Premier League as champions in 2014.[26]

Rahmatganj would finish runners-up in the Federation Cup in both the 2019–20 and 2021–22 editions.[27][28]

Ground

The club ground, located at Chowk Bazaar, is often used as a cattle market during Eid al-Adha. The market has been operated by the club every year since 1967, helping the club generate enough profit to participate in the professional league.[29][30]

Shirt sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2007–2008 Sattar Textiles[31]
2014–2022 Tiger Cement[32]
2022–present None

Players

Current squad

As of 22 August 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Bangladesh BAN Mohammed Mamun Alif
2 DF Uzbekistan UZB Iskandar Siddikzhonov
3 DF Bangladesh BAN Mahamudul Hasan Kiron
4 DF Bangladesh BAN Masud Rana Mridha
5 MF Ghana GHA Mamoud Oshie
6 MF Bangladesh BAN Arafat Hossain
7 MF Bangladesh BAN Md Sayde
8 FW Bangladesh BAN Mohamed Munna
9 FW Bangladesh BAN Khondoker Ashraful Islam
10 FW Bangladesh BAN Nabib Newaj Jibon
11 FW Ghana GHA Felix Tetteh
12 FW Bangladesh BAN Md Nahian
13 MF Bangladesh BAN Md Arabi
14 DF Bangladesh BAN Tanvir Hossain
15 DF Bangladesh BAN Md Taj Uddin
16 MF Bangladesh BAN Maraz Hossain Opi
17 FW Bangladesh BAN Mehedi Hasan Royal
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 FW Ghana GHA Samuel Boateng
19 DF Bangladesh BAN Rajon Howladar
20 FW Bangladesh BAN Samin Yasir Juel
21 DF Bangladesh BAN Ariful Islam Jitu
22 GK Bangladesh BAN Shimul Kumar Das
23 DF Bangladesh BAN Alfaj Mia
24 MF Bangladesh BAN Akkas Ali
25 GK Bangladesh BAN Shahidul Alam Sohel
26 DF Bangladesh BAN Istekharul Alam Shakil
27 DF Bangladesh BAN Raihan Hasan
28 FW Bangladesh BAN Mohammed Fahim Nur Toha
30 GK Bangladesh BAN Ahsan Habib Bipu
32 MF Bangladesh BAN Ridaynul Islam Sagor
77 MF Uzbekistan UZB Ikhtiyor Tashpulatov
98 MF Egypt EGY Mostafa Kahraba
99 FW Bangladesh BAN Nihat Jaman Ucchash

Current technical staff

Coaching staff

As of 29 May 2024
Position Name
Head Coach Bangladesh Kamal Babu
Team Manager Bangladesh Haji Shafi Mahmud
Assistant Coach Bangladesh Sheikh Zahidur Raman Milon
Team Leader Bangladesh Imteaz Hamid Shobuj
Assistant Manager Bangladesh Md Jamal Uddin
Goalkeeping Coach Bangladesh Humayun Kabir
Equipment Manager Bangladesh Mohammad Ali
Media Officer Bangladesh Md Iqbal Uddin
Security Officer Bangladesh Md Mahmud Chand Raju
Physiotherapist Bangladesh Md Mahfuzur Rahman

Board of directors

As of 8 October 2024
Position Name
President Bangladesh Haji Tipu Sultan
General secretary Bangladesh Haji Humayun Kabir

Team records

Managerial record

As of 10 December 2024
Head Coach From To P W D L GS GA %/W
Bangladesh Syed Golam Jilani 10 February 2017 2 August 2022 80 18 25 37 106 146 022.50
Bangladesh Kamal Babu 1 October 2022 15 November 2023 30 8 9 13 30 44 026.67
Bangladesh Humayun Kabir ‡ 2 December 2023 30 December 2023 5 1 3 1 7 7 020.00
Bangladesh Sheikh Zahidur Raman Milon 2 January 2024[33] 22 March 2024 8 0 5 3 7 14 000.00
Netherlands Erol Akbay 22 March 2024[34] 5 May 2024 7 1 1 5 5 12 014.29
Bangladesh Kamal Babu 10 May 2024 Present 7 4 3 0 12 5 057.14

‡– Interim P - Total of played matches | W - Won matches | D - Draw matches | L - Lost matches | GS - Goals scored | GA - Goals against | %W - Percentage of matches won

Season by season record

Record as Professional Football League member
Season Division League Federation Cup Independence Cup Top league scorer(s)
P W D L GF GA Pts Position Player Goals
2007 BPL 20 3 4 13 15 48 13 11th — — Bangladesh Ashraful Awal Apu
Nigeria Nche Francis 		3
2008–09 BPL 20 6 3 11 24 32 21 7th Group-stages Uganda Idris Kasirye 13
2009–10 BPL 24 7 5 12 28 36 26 8th Quarter-finals Uganda Idris Kasirye 9
2010–11 BPL 22 7 3 12 29 48 24 8th Group-stages Group-stages Uganda Idris Kasirye 13
2012 BPL 20 2 3 15 13 46 9 11th Quarter-finals — Uganda Idris Kasirye 6
2012–13 BCL 14 4 7 3 16 13 19 3rd Group-stages Qual. round 2 Bangladesh Nurul Afsar 6
2013–14 BCL 18 13 5 0 36 8 44 Champions Group-stages Group-stages Bangladesh Nurul Absar 11
2014–15 BPL 20 3 5 12 21 39 14 10th Group-stages — Nigeria Gideon Solomon 7
2016 BPL 22 7 6 9 37 34 27 7th Quarter-finals Group-stages Democratic Republic of the Congo Siyo Zunapio 12
2017–18 BPL 22 3 9 10 19 30 18 10th Semi-finals Semi-finals Guinea Ismael Bangoura 4
2018–19 BPL 24 4 10 10 34 53 22 10th Group-stages Quarter-finals Democratic Republic of the Congo Siyo Zunapio 13
2019–20 BPL Abandoned Runners-up — The Gambia Momodou Bah
Uzbekistan Akobir Turaev 		2
2020–21 BPL 24 6 7 11 23 31 25 8th Group-stages Ivory Coast Christ Remi 8
2021–22 BPL 22 4 6 12 33 46 18 10th Runners-up Group-stages Nigeria Sunday Chizoba 12
2022–23 BPL 20 4 7 9 15 31 19 9th Quarter-finals Group-stages Nigeria Peter Ebimobowei 4
2023–24 BPL 18 2 10 6 19 26 16 9th Quarter-finals Semi-finals Ghana Ernest Boateng 9

P – Total of played matches W – Won matches D – Drawn matches L – Lost matches GF – Goals for the team GA – Goals against
Pts- Points

AFC club ranking

As of 11 June 2023[35]
Ranking Team Points
429 India Indian Arrows 35.0
430 Oman Al-Orobah FC 35.0
431 Bangladesh Rahmatganj MFS 35.0
432 Bhutan Druk Lhayul FC 34.0
433 Oman Al-Mussanah Club 34.0

Honours

League

Cup

Notable players

  • The players below had senior international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed, represented their countries before or after playing for Rahmatganj MFS.

Asia

References

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  2. ^ "Rahmatgonj Muslim Friends Society". int.soccerway.com. Archived from the original on 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  3. ^ "BFF". BFF. Archived from the original on 2014-06-06. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  4. ^ a b c d Kabir, Iqbal (July 3, 2022). "বাংলাদেশের ফুটবলে ভুলে যাওয়া নাম সত্তুর দশকের শার্প শ্যুটার সুলতান". Ctgsangbad (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
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  8. ^ Kabir, Iqbal (25 September 2022). "বিদেশের বিরুদ্ধে বাংলাদেশের প্রথম ফুটবল জয়ের নায়ক স্ট্রাইকার হাসান এখন যেমন আছেন". Ctgsangbad (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2 January 2024.
  9. ^ "মনে পড়ে দেশের মাটিতে প্রথম জয়ের নায়ক তারকা ফুটবলার সুদর্শন স্ট্রাইকার হাসানের কথা". Kiron's Sport Desk (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2 January 2024.
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  22. ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 1120". archive.thedailystar.net. 25 July 2007. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Match-fixing committee sits". The Daily Star. May 12, 2012. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
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  31. ^ "Sattar Textiles sticks with tradition". The Daily Star. December 21, 2008. Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  32. ^ "Tiger cement boost for Rahmatganj". Dhaka Tribune. 2014-04-17. Archived from the original on 2019-12-31. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  33. ^ "দুই ক্লাবকে সাফল্য এনে দেওয়া মিলন এখন রহমতগঞ্জে". www.banglatribune.com (in Bengali). 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
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  38. ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Upendra Man Singh (Player)". national-football-teams.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
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Further reading

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