The long-standing uncertainty surrounding a house for two-time SAFF Women's Championship winner Ritu Porna Chakma has finally come to an end. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has provided financial assistance to support the construction of a home for one of Bangladesh women's football team's star players.
On Tuesday (June 9), during a break in the budget session at the National Parliament Building, the Prime Minister personally handed over a cheque to Ritu Porna Chakma for land purchase and house construction.
Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque, Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs State Minister Mir Helal Uddin, Textiles and Jute State Minister Shariful Alam, and Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) President Tabith Awal were present at the ceremony.
The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had previously extended support to Rituparna and her family. In 2025, when her mother was undergoing cancer treatment and required financial assistance, BNP stepped forward to help.
Acting on the instructions of then BNP Acting Chairman and current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and “Amra BNP Poribar” Convener Atikur Rahman Rumon visited Rituparna’s home in the remote hilly region of Rangamati, checked on her mother’s condition, and provided financial support.
Following Bangladesh’s historic triumph in the 2022 SAFF Women’s Championship, the then government pledged to build houses for national team players Ritu Porna Chakma , Monika Chakma, and Rupna Chakma. While the homes for Monika and Rupna were completed, Rituparna’s project remained stalled for years.
The house was supposed to be built on government-owned land in Ghagra Union of Kaukhali Upazila in Rangamati. However, administrative complications delayed the process. Although the Rangamati District Administration allocated 10 decimals of khas land to Rituparna in March 2025, possession of the land and construction work could not proceed due to the absence of final approval from the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs.
In August 2025, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to take responsibility for constructing Rituparna’s house. However, uncertainty over the land allocation prevented the board from moving forward with the project.
The situation has now been resolved with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman providing financial assistance to enable Ritu Porna Chakma to purchase land and build a home.
One of the brightest stars of Bangladesh women’s football, Ritu Porna Chakma has played a vital role in the national team’s recent successes. She was a key figure in Bangladesh’s SAFF Women’s Championship-winning campaigns in 2022 and 2024.
She also made significant contributions during Bangladesh’s historic qualification campaign for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2025, helping the country secure a place in the tournament’s final round for the first time.
