A long-running football tournament final was called off in Natore’s Lalpur after a former student wing leader allegedly made a false public announcement that Section 144 had been imposed at the venue because his demand to have political figures as guests was rejected.
The incident took place on Friday (21 August) in Keshabpur village of Lalpur upazila, creating tension across the community and ultimately preventing the much-anticipated final from going ahead.
According to local residents, Keshabpur has hosted the football tournament regularly for around six decades. The competition is organised by villagers and has traditionally remained separate from political and administrative involvement. Political leaders or government officials are not normally invited as guests. Instead, senior and respected members of the village present prizes to the winning team after the match.
This year’s tournament began around 15 days before the scheduled final, with teams comprising college and secondary-school students, madrasa students, university students and people in employment. The final had been scheduled to take place after Friday prayers.
Mahbub, a member of the organising committee, said Mohammad Maruf Ali, a former joint convener of the Lalpur upazila unit of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, had repeatedly demanded that Nazrul Islam Malam, a former Lalpur mayor and former convener of the municipal BNP, be made the chief guest at the final.
Maruf Ali also reportedly sought to be included as a special guest. The organisers, however, rejected the requests, saying they wanted to preserve the tournament’s long-established tradition of keeping political and administrative figures out of the event.
The disagreement escalated on Friday morning. At around 11am, Maruf Ali allegedly hired a loudspeaker on his own and announced throughout the village that Section 144 had been imposed at the football ground and that nobody would be allowed to play there.
The announcement quickly caused confusion and tension among local residents. As uncertainty spread over whether the match could proceed, the final was eventually cancelled. Police later arrived at the scene and took steps to restore calm.
Village leader Azizur Rahman criticised the announcement, saying the baseless declaration had disrupted what had otherwise been a peaceful and festive environment.
Another village leader, Abul Kalam Azad, said Section 144 could not be imposed by an individual and called for an investigation into the incident and appropriate action against whoever was responsible.
When contacted about the allegation, Maruf Ali declined to comment on the purported imposition of Section 144.
Nazrul Islam Malam, whose name was at the centre of the dispute, said he had not instructed anyone to make him chief guest at the final. He claimed that, after learning about the incident, he questioned Maruf Ali, who subsequently admitted that he had made a mistake.
Lalpur police station officer-in-charge Shafiqul Islam said police went to the area promptly after receiving information about the disturbance and brought the situation under control. He added that necessary legal action would be taken if a written complaint was submitted.
The incident has left local residents disappointed, particularly because the tournament has been a longstanding community tradition. What was intended to be a sporting occasion bringing together students, workers and villagers instead ended with the cancellation of the final amid a dispute over guest selection and an allegedly unauthorised announcement concerning Section 144.
