This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
On the outskirts of Dhaka, a 27-year-old woman stands out among her male counterparts as Bangladesh's first female club-level coach. Mirona, who comes from a humble background, has traded a safe public-sector job for a career in football coaching.
“I have always dreamt of being coach of a top team and one day even the national side,” Mirona said, reflecting on her journey. The former Bangladesh international was speaking as she coached a group of male players on the outskirts of Dhaka.
Her path to becoming a coach was not without its challenges. Mirona was an assistant coach at Dhaka City Football Club, a second-tier team, when Bangladesh Navy invited her to coach its women's team. However, she soon received an offer from her former club to become the head coach, giving her full freedom to recruit players and prepare the team for promotion to the premier league.
Despite some criticism from male coaches, Mirona has largely avoided negative comments from the wider community. Her honesty and hard-working attitude have been praised by her team's administrative manager, Robin Ahsan, who said, “Our team's performance has improved since she joined us. Her honesty and hard-working attitude are tremendous.”
Mirona's parents and siblings, who still live in rural Bagerhat district, want her to settle down and get married. However, she has chosen to prioritize her career, saying, “I am married to football, and for now, the sport is my life and my family.”
Her methods have been well-received on the training ground, with midfielder Ataur Rahman saying, “We love being in her training sessions. We can feel our improvement day by day. She made us believe in fitness.”
For now, Mirona's main focus is the battle for the title in the second-tier championship league, which has been delayed due to the coronavirus situation. She has now returned to her village, where she spends much of her time watching matches of Barcelona and her favourite player, Lionel Messi.
“He is technically so gifted. He is a superstar, yet so gentle. My ultimate goal is to watch him play a match at Camp Nou,” Mirona said.
