If you watch any football match in Europe or South America, you will notice a group of supporters, that are comparatively more aggressive, extreme, and passionate compared to others. They try their best to create an atmosphere that encourages their own team and intimidates the opposing players and their supporters. These types of fans are called ‘Ultras’.

To cheer for the Bangladesh national football team, a group of individuals came forward to form ‘Bangladesh Football Ultras’ with 170 members on May 17 in 2019, against Lebanon. Now their registered members are over 5000.

They wear black attire, and they are identifiable by their behavioral tendencies, which include singing football chants (usually they own one), playing musical instruments such as drums, and using flares and smoke bombs, vocal support in large groups and display of the flag and banner across galleries in the stadiums.

Being in a stadium full of fervent Ultras can be a thrilling experience for many football fans or even non-football fans, and offer them a sense of belonging to something greater than themselves regardless of the nervous environment of the battle between bitter opponents.

You’ll see that there have been recent developments in the context of home matches for Bangladesh. The record for Bangladesh football team have been very healthy specifically at the Basundhara Kings Arena.

The presence of exceptional crowds in women’s matches are also worth mentioning, whereas a few years ago the women’s matches faced crowd famine literally.

They reportedly also played a huge role in attracting foreign players to play for Bangladesh by displaying banners in the home matches. They go with their motto of ‘Home of the Tigers.’

If this Ultras culture continues, then it’ll be only a matter of time to return the 80s vibe, the so-called golden era of football in Bangladesh, in country’s football scenario. Though the football fandom in that era centered around Dhaka Abahani and Dhaka Mohammedan, however, the Bangladesh Football Ultras are spreading the optimism to bring back the glory in the country’s football arena.

Nevertheless, the importance of development of our national football team will surely motivate the Ultras to roar more for the team.

Bashundhara Kings Ultras: The latest addition to the football frenzy in Bangladesh

Bashundhara Kings Ultras is the first registered football fan club in Bangladesh. It was established on April 29 in 2021 to support the Bangladeshi club ‘Bashundhara Kings.’

This idea of establishing such clubs originated in Italy but by has now gained worldwide attention. Clubs like East Bengal and Mohun Bagan have had ultra fan clubs for quite a few years now and that inspired football agent Saruare Alam Khan and co to establish one of their own.

The concept of Ultras is by no means a well-known thing in the country and so the process of being registered as one was never easy.

The fan club often receives special mention for their support from the club itself. Ultra fan clubs in different countries have often grabbed headlines for many wrong reasons like football hooliganism. Many football clubs have been fined for uncontrollable behaviour of the fans in many countries.

But Saruare insists their club’s programs don’t involve any kind of questionable activity. The game’s popularity is on the wane and it’s important to have jam-packed galleries to bring the excitement back. He believes clubs like the Bashundhara Kings Ultras will serve this purpose.

While exploring various clubs in Dhaka, Bashundhara Kings caught the attention of River Plate official, Sebastian Perez, president of the department of national and international football schools at River Plate, was amazed by the stunning stadium and complex of the Bangladesh football club.

While there is not much for Bangladesh football to be proud of in terms of performance, its fans’ passion and energy have made a lasting impression on the world stage.

On November 7 in 2023, some members of the Mohun Bagan supporters’ group ‘Mariners Base Camp—Ultras’ came to watch the home match held at Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka. They were warmly welcomed by the Bashundhara Kings Ultras and exchanged greetings and gifts.

On July 14the same year, Bashundhara Kings Ultras showed a tifo of 1,200 square meters with its own logo against Abahani, which was considered to be the largest tifo in Bangladesh’s football history.

Due to visa complications, Ultras members were unable to travel to India on December 11 later that year, as the last match of the group stage of the AFC Cup took place in India. For the first time, a “live match screening” will be held in support of their favorite club, with members enjoying the game.

On December 18 in the same year, The final games of the Independence Cup took place in Gopalganj. Bashundhara Kings Ultras exchanged floral greetings with the Mohammedan Fan Club before the start of the match there.

Moreover, Bashundhara Kings Ultras are not just confined to exhibitions; they also participate in field activities. They have their own underground futsal team in the capitals of Dhaka, Mymnsing, and Gopalgonj and have been involved in some futsal tournaments so far.

In summary, Bashundhara Kings Ultras have brought innovation to their activities, which has easily caught the attention of the young football lovers of the country by spreading the team’s theme colour ‘Red’.