Tuesday, 5th May 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 5th May 2026, 5:34 PM
The distinguished Bangladeshi forward, Ritu Porna Chakma, has formalised a significant professional milestone by securing a transfer to the Myanmar Women’s Football League. This move represents a landmark moment in the history of the sport in Bangladesh, as she becomes the first female footballer from the country to participate in a domestic league outside the South Asian region.
Ritu Porna has signed a three-month contractual agreement with Ayeyawady FC, one of the prominent entities within the Burmese footballing landscape. This transition follows a highly successful period for the athlete, who has consistently demonstrated elite technical proficiency on both domestic and international circuits.
The timing of her departure is strategically aligned with the regional international calendar. The SAFF Women’s Championship is scheduled to commence on 25 May 2026 in Goa, India. Following her commitments with the Bangladesh national team, Ritu Porna is expected to travel to Myanmar on 12 June 2026 to integrate with her new club.
While Ayeyawady FC concluded the 2025–26 season as champions—thereby securing a berth in the AFC Women’s Champions League—the recruitment of Ritu Porna is specifically targeted for the forthcoming 2026–27 domestic league season. Her acquisition is viewed by market analysts as a strategic effort by the club to maintain its dominance and bolster its attacking options for the new campaign.
Ritu Porna’s professional association with Myanmar is already underscored by historical success. She played a fundamental role in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, where her performance was instrumental in securing Bangladesh’s progression to the final tournament. Her two-goal contribution against the Myanmar national team is widely regarded as the “turning point” of that qualifying campaign, cementing her reputation as a clinical finisher in high-pressure scenarios.
This prior success on Burmese soil provides a positive psychological backdrop for her return to the country as a professional club player.
Ritu Porna Chakma possesses a prolific scoring record across various formats and jurisdictions. Her previous tenures in the Bhutanese domestic circuit provided substantial evidence of her adaptability to foreign leagues:
Paro FC (Bhutan): During her tenure with the club, she demonstrated exceptional efficiency, recording 13 goals in 8 appearances.
Royal Thimphu College FC (Bhutan): Representing this side in the AFC Women’s Champions League, she participated in two fixtures. Notably, she registered a significant goal against the Iranian side, Bam Khatoon FC.
International Record: For the Bangladesh national team, she has earned 38 caps and scored 13 goals, maintaining a consistent contribution to the side’s offensive output.
The migration of Bangladeshi female footballers to foreign leagues is an accelerating trend, yet Ritu Porna’s move serves as a geographic expansion for the nation’s sporting reach. To date, Bangladeshi players have featured in the domestic leagues of Maldives, India, Bhutan, and Nepal. By venturing into Myanmar, Ritu Porna breaks the South Asian boundary, establishing a precedent for future generations of athletes seeking professional opportunities in East and Southeast Asian markets.
Her move to Ayeyawady FC is expected to enhance her tactical versatility, as the Myanmar league is known for its physical demands and technical rigour. This experience will likely provide long-term benefits to the Bangladesh national team, as she returns for future international windows with exposure to diverse playing styles.
In summary, Ritu Porna Chakma’s three-month stint with Ayeyawady FC is not merely a personal professional achievement but a definitive historical marker. It signifies the rising profile of Bangladeshi women’s football on the continental stage and highlights the increasing demand for the nation’s top talent within established Asian footballing infrastructures.
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