Skip to main content

Qatar World Cup has a strong Bangladesh connection: stadium construction, t-shirts

By Mashrur Siddique Bhuiyan* 
The FIFA World Cup fever has unquestionably cut through the minds of mass people all over the world. Stadiums in Qatar are buzzing with football fans and athletes representing their countries at the “Greatest Show on Earth". The magic of the FIFA World Cup is so enormous that even being unable to participate does not matter much to the fans who support different nations. This is one of the highest viewed events in the world, with the 2018 event viewed by about 3.6 billion people worldwide. But this crowd is not aware of the contribution of migrant workers who helped build the very stadiums where the matches are playing in.
Qatar won the bid in 2010 to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, which got the oxymoron of celebration and controversy. This also created the potential for Qatar to Showcase its monumental economic achievements and unique culture on the global stage. The motto for Qatar’s bid team in 2010 was ‘Expect Amazing’ and migrant workers across the globe made it possible. Hosting this tournament has undoubtedly put Qatar under the global spotlight, overshadowing others’ contributions in some areas.
Bangladesh never qualified for the final stage of the World Cup qualification let alone play in one. No one can dare to say that there is a mere chance in the near future for Bangladesh to play in the World Cup finals. But the Qatar World Cup has a strong connection to Bangladesh- regarding the stadium’s construction, the t-shirts worn by officials, organizing the referees, and the field’s medical system.
After Qatar got selected as the host nation, the nation’s demand for labor skyrocketed in 2010. The country has experienced a large influx of Bangladeshi migrant workers, particularly in the construction sector. It is estimated that 4 lakh Bangladeshi workers joined the Qatari workforce between 2010 and 2022. Qatar has hired 12,344 workers from Bangladesh this year alone, compared to 11,158 amount last year. The fruits of their labor include hotels, Doha Metro, airports, and a brand-new city called Lusail. The labor minister of Qatar praised Bangladeshi workers and noted that Qatar’s market would be always open to Bangladesh.
In addition to the employees engaged in building the infrastructure to carry out this massive undertaking, many Bangladeshis have contributed to the beautification of the entire area. But working in Qatar is difficult due to the heat and it is difficult to breathe there. The Greatest Show on Earth couldn't have happened without the sacrifice of more than a thousand Bangladeshis. Many people did not receive fair pay or enough time off. Over 6,000 migrant workers perished following the commencement of the World Cup project, according to a Guardian investigation. There are 1,108 Bangladeshis among them.
Besides, the name Bangladesh is involved in Qatar World Cup in many ways. Bangladesh's textile sector directly contributes to this exciting occasion. The fact that Chittagong, Bangladesh produced 600,000 official t-shirts for the World Cup in Qatar is a source of pride. FIFA officials, referees, ball boys, and several spectators in the gallery will wear jerseys made in Bangladesh while working at a total of eight sites in five cities. These apparel items are produced in our nation and are visible to football enthusiasts everywhere. For various age groups, five different varieties of t-shirts are being produced. These unique clothes were made by the workers with the utmost compassion to preserve the country's good name.
Bangladeshis will also help to maintain the players' health during this major football competition. Ayesha Parveen, a female doctor from Bangladesh, will be the primary medical professional on the field for the World Cup match at 974 Stadium, one of the World Cup venues in Qatar. This doctor has prior experience serving as a doctor at the same location at the FIFA Arab Cup in 2021.
Bangladesh's name is also closely related to the World Cup's match referees. A son of Bangladesh, Mohammad Shawkat Ali will serve as the match's referee coordinator for the Greatest Show on Earth. He will oversee the work of 24 video match officials, 69 assistant referees, and 36 referees.
Volunteers at the World Cup in Qatar are called ‘The heart of the tournament. Where more than four hundred Bangladeshi volunteers are ready to represent Bangladesh as FIFA official volunteers. Even if there is no Bangladesh team, the people of the country are on the stage of the World Cup. They are performing the duties of volunteers in the FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East country of Qatar.
Currently, it is anticipated that over 1.5 million tourists from various nations will travel to Qatar. Driving will be at the forefront of Qatar's welcome football fans among the many service employees. Around 8,000 of them in this region work for taxi services and ride-hailing apps and are Bangladeshis. They received specialized instruction in culture, etiquette, and language.
The World Cup celebration in the middle of the desert is equated with the sweat and blood of foreign employees. To ensure the success of the tournament, thousands of professionals have relocated to Qatar in preparation for the World Cup. The Qatari government has already built a ‘flag plaza’ with 119 country flags due to its contribution to the development of infrastructure in Qatar and the construction of eight stadiums built for the World Cup. Qatar has rewarded the dignity of expatriate workers to honor their worth of them.
The universal enchantment of football, FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar began on November 20. Karim, a migrant worker from Bangladesh, had dreamed of watching World Cup matches from the rooftop of the hotel he had helped build. But after completing work, he had to return home. He says “our dreams never came true, but we were part of this World Cup”. And this contribution makes him proud, indeed all of us proud.
---
*Development worker and independent researcher, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das  The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.
Post a Comment
»

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman*  The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.
Post a Comment
»

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra   There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.
Post a Comment
»

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.
Post a Comment
»

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor*  This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.
Post a Comment
»

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta   We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.
Post a Comment
»

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra   A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.
Post a Comment
»

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor*  Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.
Post a Comment
»

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative   A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.
Post a Comment
»