Abahani Limited Dhaka (), also referred to as Dhaka Abahani or Abahani Limited, is a Bangladeshi professional football club based in the Dhanmondi area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The club currently competes in the Bangladesh Football League, the top flight of Bangladeshi football.
The club was founded as Abahani Krira Chakra (), through the re-organisation of Iqbal Sporting Club in 1972 by Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of the first president of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The club was converted into a Limited company in 1989. Abahani Limited Dhaka is regarded as one of the country's most renowned and well supported clubs. Since emerging on the domestic football scene, the club has formed an enduring rivalry with the neighbouring Dhaka Mohammedan, known as the Dhaka Derby.
Considered as one of the most decorated football clubs in Bangladesh.Bangladesh – List of Champions: Dhaka League Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 12 August 2021 The club has won eleven Dhaka League titles, which was the highest tier in Bangladesh until 2006. Since the inception of the country's first professional league, they have achieved a record 6 Bangladesh Football League titles. With 17 domestic league titles, they are the second most successful club in Bangladesh top-tier league history, with the first being rivals Dhaka Mohammedan SC. The club has won both Federation Cup (12 times) and the Independence Cup (2 times) trophies. They have also enjoyed success in both continental and subcontinental football, winning 3 trophies (Charms Cup, Bordoloi Trophy and Sait Nagjee Trophy) from India, while in 2019, Abahani became the first Bangladeshi club to reach the knockout stages of the AFC Cup.
History Iqbal Sporting Club (1964–1971) In 1964, after going through many legal implications, former Youth and Sports Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, Harunur Rashid got hold of the Dhanmondi field in Road No. 19, which was owned by CNB (now known as PWD) back in East Pakistan. However, as an institution was needed to complete the transaction, in May 1966, Rashid established Abahani Samaj Kalyan Samiti, a social welfare association involved with sports, literature and culture. In 1968, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's eldest son, Sheikh Kamal, got involved with Abahani following his father's request. After the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War subsided, Kamal decided to create a new club in the newly liberated nation, then he learned of Iqbal Sporting Club, located in Mohammadpur, the Biharis who played at the club, had fled during the war. The club had already won the second-tier league before the war set about, however, they stopped all club activities the proceeding year due to the state of disarray the country was in. Kamal and co, reformed the club after being granted legal permission, and decided to use the club for Abahani's sports cycle. The reformed club appointed Nazmul Haque as their first president, while Harunur Rashid and Mohammad Farooq served as the main secretary and football secretary, respectively.
Early years (1972–1979)
Having been crowned the Second Division title in 1970 as Iqbal Sporting Club, they were granted a place in the 1972 First Division, reformed as Abahani Krira Chakra. Before the 1972 season got underway, Abahani had already made a name for themselves by attaining the service of the country's first "megastar" footballer, Kazi Salahuddin from Mohammedan SC. Abahani's first league squad consisted of: Abul Kashem, Muslim, Zubair, Abdus Sadek (captain), Sheikh Jamaluddin, Hashemuddin, Farooq, Jahangir Shah Badsha, Mozammel Quader, Kazi Anwar, Mohsin, QM Rafique Dipu, Ranjit Kumar Saha, Gafur Bhuiyan, Sheikh Farid, Kazi Abu Siddique, Golam Sarwar Tipu, Kazi Salahuddin, Amalesh Sen, Mohammad Hossain, Abdul Quader, Masood Hasan, Sheikh Ashraf Ali, Belal Hossain, Ali Imam (vice-captain) and coach Kabir. Abahani played their first-ever top-tier league match on 11 June 1972, the opening day of the league, against the defending champions, Bangladesh JIC (BJIC), and earned a 0–0 draw. However, the league was abandoned midway, with the winners being unannounced. Abahani finished their first full season as the 1973 First Division runners-up, behind Bangladesh JIC. The team displayed their best performance in a 2–0 victory over giants Mohammedan, with goals from Amalesh Sen and Kazi Salahuddin; the latter scored 24 league goals that year.
Abahani won their first league title in 1974, under the guidance of Irish coach William Bill Hart, Abahani introduced Total Football to the Dhaka football scene. However, the club went through a dark period the subsequent year, following the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which also claimed the life of founding member Sheikh Kamal. Due to the political situation in the country, Abahani's future was left uncertain, and it was on the path of disbanding only to be saved by some officials and players. Amidst the chaos, Abahani lost the league title to Mohammedan, starting off the fierce rivalry between the two clubs, which was later branded as the Dhaka Derby. Kazi Salahuddin moved to the Hong Kong League following the season's conclusion, largely due to Sheikh Kamal's murder. The late 70s was a rebuilding era for Abahani, players like Monwar Hossain Nannu, Golam Rabbani Helal, Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu and Amalesh Sen were a major part of the club's return to glory. Although the club did not enjoy much success at the Aga Khan Gold Cup, they were able to break Mohammedan's league dominance by regaining the First Division title in 1977, after defeating Rahmatganj MFS 3–1 in the league-deciding game, with goals coming from Kazi Salahuddin, Khurshid Alam Babul and Kazi Anwar. The return of Kazi Salahuddin to full fitness was a major boost as he scored 14 goals during their unbeaten 1977 league triumph and again in 1978, helping Abahani retain the title.
Revolutionary Era (1980–1991)
The 1980s saw Abahani and Mohammedan dominate the First Division and their rivalry reach its peak. In the 70s the club did not have an established fan base, but over the following years the "Sky Blue Brigade" was established, rivalling the millions of Mohammedan supporters in the country. Although Mohammedan SC were crowned the first league winners of the new decade, Abahani responded with the signings of Sri Lankan defender Pakir Ali and Rahmatganj MFS midfield maestro Ashish Bhadra. The Ashish–Babul combination in the midfield served both the club and the country with great distinction, as Abahani won the league in 1981, and were joint champions of the Federation Cup alongside Mohammedan. In September 1982, Abahani star players Kazi Salahuddin, Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu, Golam Rabbani Helal and Kazi Anwar were summarily tried by the military court and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for the disturbance caused by violently protesting a referee's decision in the Abahani-Mohammedan duel. It was written in the indictment against them that they had initiated a conspiracy to overthrow the military government at the time. The four footballers were later released on the orders of Chief Martial Law Administrator General Hussain Muhammad Ershad after agitated fans of both Mohammedan and Abahani protested throughout the country; the event was named the "Black September" of Bangladeshi football.
In 1983, Abahani added Samrat Hossain Emily from Wari Club to assist the ageing Kazi Salahuddin. Abahani secured the league title following a 2–0 victory over Brothers Union in the Super League, with goals from Abdul Gaffar and Salahuddin. 1984 was a noteworthy year in Dhaka football as the Dhaka Metropolitan Football Committee introduced the 3-point system in the league, and at the time only the English leagues were using this system. However, while in search of hat trick league titles, club legend Kazi Salahuddin announced his surprise retirement after securing a consecutive league title that year. 1985 saw confusion inside the Abahani camp after Salahuddin, who had retired the previous year, was made the head coach, replacing Ali Imam, who had just won them successive league titles. Ali Imam took charge of Brothers Union, determined to take revenge. Nonetheless, Abahani beat favourites Brothers Union to the title, as even after finishing behind Brothers during the normal league stage, Abahani were unbeaten in the Super League, thus completing their domestic league hat trick. A year before Salahuddin had retired, Abahani brought in striker Sheikh Mohammad Aslam from Mohammedan, Aslam went on to terrorise the Dhaka field, being named the league's top goal scorer for 4 consecutive years (1984 to 1987), scoring 17 goals during Abahani's hat trick winning season, and also helped the club win their second Federation Cup in 1985. Due to their 1984 league triumph, Abahani participated in the 1985–86 Asian Club Championship, becoming the first Bangladeshi club to achieve the feat. They defeated the Sri Lankan team Saunders SC and Club Valencia from Maldives, 4–1 and 8–1 respectively, however they finished Central Asian Zone runners-up as they lost to India's East Bengal Club 1–0.
In 1986, Sheikh Mohammad Aslam's 20 league goals weren't enough to stop Mohammedan SC, guided by Iranian goalkeeper Nasser Hejazi, who played in the 1978 World Cup, putting an end to Abahani's title-winning run, the club did manage a consolation, winning the 1986 Federation Cup trophy. The 1987 First Division League was one of the most highly competitive seasons in Dhaka football. Abahani made marquee signings of their own by bringing in Iraqi duo Samir Shaker and Karim Allawi, both of whom played in the 1986 World Cup, and also completed the transfer of 19-year-old teenage sensation Monem Munna. Abahani managed to retain the Federation Cup, but lost out on the league title to Mohammedan once again. Going into the last game of the season against Mohammedan, Abahani only needed a point to secure the title, however, among all the star players present, it was veteran midfielder and longtime Abahani servant Khurshid Alam Babul who won the game for Mohammedan, scoring the winning goal as the game ended 3–2. With the two teams tied at the top with equal points, a play-off match was required. On 9 September 2022, three days after the previous encounter, the title-deciding game between Abahani and Mohammedan got underway, and after repeated police intervention, the high-voltage match, which saw two players sent off after a scuffle, ended 0–0. After the game, players from both teams agreed to be crowned joint champions, fearing fan conflict after an intense game. However, the BFF did not accept the agreement and decided to hold a 2nd play-off match. Both captains, Aslam and Ranjit Saha (Mohammedan SC), were given a 1-year ban, while Abahani's two key players, Moshin and Mostafa Kamal, were banned for three months. On 26 October, the clubs played the second play-off game behind closed doors, due to security concerns. Abahani lost the game 2–0.