Another local brand, Hunkar, has joined hands with Bangladesh football, becoming the latest sponsor of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). Under the new agreement, the brand will provide kits for official referees as well as football boots for the country’s age-group national teams.

The sponsorship agreement between Hunkar and the BFF was formally signed on Monday (August 31).

While the BFF has traditionally had kit sponsors for the senior national teams, the new partnership will also provide boots for both men’s and women’s age-group national teams. Under the agreement, the sponsor will supply football boots, shin guards and socks for players, along with kits for referees.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Hunkar CEO Sher A Mohammad Tabib revealed that he was once a footballer himself and played as a goalkeeper, although he eventually moved away from playing competitively.

Despite leaving the field, Tabib said he never lost his passion for football, which inspired him to launch Hunkar as a new Bangladeshi football brand.

Recalling his early experience with football boots, Tabib said he bought his first pair at the age of 17. After returning home from a match, he cut the boots open with scissors because he wanted to find out what was inside them that had made him wait so long to own a pair.

Now 23, Tabib is one of the leading officials of the company and is overseeing Hunkar’s partnership with Bangladesh football.

He said he was proud that the Bangladesh national team would play FIFA matches wearing boots produced by his own company, describing it as a matter of pride for both Hunkar and Bangladesh.

Hunkar has already been involved in Bangladeshi sports. The brand previously worked as a sponsor of Rajshahi Stars AFC, a team in the Bangladesh Women’s Football League.

The company has also been involved in cricket, serving as an official partner of Chattogram Royals and Dhaka Capitals in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).