Dhaka Wanderers

Dhaka Wanderers Club () is a Bangladeshi professional football club from Motijheel area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It currently competes in the Bangladesh Premier League, the top flight of Bangladeshi football, having gained promotion from the 2023–24 Bangladesh Championship League.

The Wanderers are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in the country. They won seven domestic First Division titles prior to the Independence of Bangladesh. The club has also won the Independence Day Football Tournament five times. In continental football, their greatest achievement remains a runners-up trophy in the 1963 Aga Khan Gold Cup. However, their only success post-independence was a runners-up finish in the 1987 Federation Cup.

The club uses the BSSS Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Dhaka as their home venue. Wanderers have a long-standing rivalry with Dhaka Mohammedan, which dates back to the East Pakistan era, although its intensity has decreased over the years. The club's traditional home colours are black and white, similar to their arch-rivals.

History

Establishment and early years (1937–1948)

The club was established as the Dhaka Muslim Wanderers Club in 1937 in the Kalta Bazar market area of Dhaka, British regime. The founding members consisted of the area's Muslim youth community, including notable figures such as Yar Mohammed, Abdullah Hai, Siraj Uddin, Abdul Qader, Abdus Sadek Shona, Mohon, Abdus Sayeed Mutkar, Alauddin, Chan Mia, Shamsuddin Shaju, Jumman Bepari, and Shahabuddin. Among them, Yar Mohammed and Abdullah Hai served as the club's first president and secretary, respectively. The club initially concentrated exclusively on football but later broadened its scope to incorporate hockey and cricket teams.

Following the growing influence of sports-loving members from the Nawab family of Dhaka, the club was renamed Dhaka Wanderers Club in 1939. In the same year, they won the Second Division Football League of Dhaka and entered the First Division in 1940. During this period, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (later known as ''Bangabandhu'') was known to have played for the club. In 1944, Wanderers reached the semi-finals of the prestigious Ronaldshay Shield, which was the club's biggest achievement during the British rule. The club tent at that time was located south of the land now occupied by the Outer Stadium Ground.

Strongest in East Pakistan (1948–1956)

Following the Partition of India, Wajeed Ali Miazi, the club's goalkeeper and captain, served as its football secretary from 1949–1950 and joint secretary from 1951–1960. Notably, Miazi had begun acting as player-cum-coach in 1947. In 1949, the club finished runners-up in the First Division and were also joint champions of the Ronaldshay Shield. The tournament final against Commilla Mohammedan, held at the Dhaka Sporting Association ground on 25 September 1949, ended in a 0–0 draw. The Wanderers' starting eleven consisted of Wajeed Ali Miazi, Sheikh Shaheb Ali, Nur Mia, Mahbub, Nozor Mohammed, Soleman, Khan Mozlish Moharaja, Sadek, Yusuf Reza, and Shamsu. This joint cup triumph marked the beginning of the club's domination of the domestic football scene over the next decade.

The club won its maiden First Division title in 1950 and achieved successive league triumphs by 1951. The following year, in 1952, Bengal Government Press, led by Pakistan national team forward Chunna Rashid, stopped Wanderers from claiming their third consecutive league title. Nonetheless, in 1953, the club overhauled eventual runners-up Azad Sporting Club to clinch their third First Division title. In 1954, under the captaincy of Abdur Rahim, Wanderers again won successive league titles. The club's center-forward Bahram also finished as the league top scorer, while their left-inside, Ashraf Chowdhury, finished second on the goal scorers list. In the same year, Wanderers traveled to West Bengal to participate in the IFA Shield held in Calcutta, India, exiting the tournament in the third round.

In 1955, Wanderers became the first club to win the First Division after East Bengal was dissolved and replaced by East Pakistan with the implementation of the One Unit Scheme. However, controversy over the league season remains, as it was abandoned midway due to a flood. The club was leading the points table until the league was abandoned, and according to their officials during that period, Wanderers were eventually declared champions by the authorities that year. On 15 August 1955, the club defeated I.G. Police XI 2–0 in the Independence Day Tournament final held in Dhaka. In the same year, the club again participated in the IFA Shield, where they eventually exited in the quarter-finals and, in turn, gained subcontinental recognition.

Rivalry with Dhaka Mohammedan (1956–1966)

In 1956, many key players from the club, including Amir Jang Ghaznavi, Fazlur Rahman Arzoo, Kabir Ahmed, Shoki Samad, Bahram and Ashraf Chowdhury, joined Mohammedan Sporting Club due to an internal conflict with the club's officials. Despite this, the club kept hold of center-half Nabi Chowdhury, who led a young team to their record fourth consecutive First Division title. Mohammedan, the initial favorites, finished as unbeaten runners-up and were tied on points with Wanderers. However, Mohammedan refused to play a playoff final, so the East Pakistan Sports Federation awarded the trophy to the Wanderers.
On 14 August 1957, Wanderers tied 1–1 with Police AC to gain joint ownership of the Independence Day Tournament. However, their league dominance was finally put to an end by arch-rivals, Mohammedan, who won their maiden First Division title that year. In 1958, the club finished outside of the top three as Azad Sporting Club clinched the league title.

In 1960, Wanderers brought in Makrani players Lari and Murad Bakhsh, while also having a strong local contingent of Zakaria Pintoo, Patrick, Sekander Ali, Kazi Mobassar Hossain, Mari Chowdhury and Debinash Sangma. Other notable players included Rasool Bakhsh, Abdul Gafur Baloch, Yaqub, Leo Gomes and Ghulam Rabbani. Eventually, the team, coached by Abdur Rahim and captained by Manzur Hasan Mintu, won their seventh First Division League title. In the single league, the club scored 61 goals in 14 games, only losing their final league game to the defending champions, Mohammedan. On 9 September 1960, the club were defeated 8–0 by Indonesian club PSM Makassar in the semi-finals of the Aga Khan Gold Cup in Dhaka. In 1961, the club participated in the President's Gold Cup held in Karachi. In the same year, Wajeed Ali Miazi was made the club's general secretary. However, the club failed to defend the league title, which was won by Mohammedan.

The following season, the club disappointed, culminating in a 1–8 defeat to eventual league champions, Victoria Sporting Club. In 1963, the club formed a strong team to participate in the Aga Khan Gold Cup, acquiring Muhammad Umer, Ghulam Abbas Baloch, Abdul Ghafoor, Ghulam Hossain, Abdullah Rahi, Yousuf Jr., and Yousuf Sr. from defending champions Victoria, who had withdrawn from the tournament. Wanderers got off to a good start by defeating Police AC and Nepal XI 7–0, and Pakistan Western Railway 2–0. The club finished as group champions and went on to defeat Indonesia XI 5–0 in the semi-final. In the final, held on 29 October 1963, tournament favorites Wanderers lost 1–2 to Pakistan Railways. The Wanderers' starting eleven for the game consisted of Ghulam Hossain, Khuda Bakhsh, Abdul Gafur Baloch, Amin, Murad Bakhsh, Abdul Ghafoor, Yousuf Sr., Yousuf Jr., Abdullah Rahi, Abbas, and Umer, the latter being their only scorer in the final.

In 1965, Wanderers moved their club tent near the Baitul Mukarram Mosque, angering local residents who set the tent ablaze, resulting in the loss of most of their trophies and documents. In 1966, the club's general secretary, Wajeed Ali, was made vice-president, while Aga Yousuf served as the president. That year, Wanderers signed Muhammad Umer and Ghulam Abbas Baloch from Victoria on a permanent deal. On 7 July 1966, the club lost 0–2 to Mohammedan in the Mohammad Ali Bogra Shield final held in Rawalpindi. The club also finished in third-place behind Mohammedan and EPIDC in the league. On 17 July, Wanderers played their derby match against Mohammedan and lost 0–1. Notably, the game was played as a charity match and raised Rs. 31,968 from ticket sales, which were used to aid Sylhet flood victims. On 14 August, Wanderers played out a 1–1 draw with Mohammedan to be crowned joint Independence Day Tournament champions.

Steady decline (1966–1994)

In the late 60s, the club struggled to compete for the league title due to the presence of EPIDC and Mohammedan. They finished as league runners-up in 1970 after Mohammedan withdrew from the league mid-season. Following the Independence of Bangladesh, the club, led by Kazi Abdur Rafiq, again finished as runners-up in the league, this time jointly with Mohammedan and Dhaka Abahani in 1973. The season prior, which was abandoned, striker Nazir Ahmed scored a hat-trick against Dilkusha SC, becoming the first player to do so since the country's independence. Wanderers failed to form a strong team post-independence, even though one of their main patrons was the country's first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In 1976, the club managed to reach the Super League round in the First Division; however, they finished bottom of their group. In 1977, Wanderers finished second from the bottom and were only one point clear of the eventually relegated Shantinagar Club.

In 1980, Wajeed Ali Miazi, who had been with the club since 1939 and serving as general secretary for four years, departed. Eventually, the club moved their tent near the Motijheel police station. Following the Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the onset of Military rule, the Wanderers, according to its officials at the time, were a victims to football politics. The club would spend the following decade as a mid-table side, while sometimes being tagged as "Giant Killers." In 1987, under coach and former player Abdul Hakim, the club reached the finals of the Federation Cup, where they were defeated 0–1 by former rivals, Mohammedan. In the 1989/90 season, Wanderers were penalized for match-fixing and also lost a relegation play-off match against Team BJMC, making the club Second Division bound. However, after the First Division was not held in 1991, the Bangladesh Football Federation decided against their relegation.

Notably, from 1986–1988 and again from 1990–1992, former club captain Manzur Hasan Mintu served as the club's general secretary. In 1992, Wanderers finished fourteenth in the twenty-club league and were initially safe from relegation. However, the club eventually lost their top-tier status at the start of the following year with the introduction of the new top-tier Premier Division League. The bottom 10 teams from the 1992 First Division League remained in the league, which began to serve below the Premier Division. In 1994, the club was relegated to the third-tier, the Second Division, marking an end to their 54-year stay in the First Division.

Yo-yo years (1994–2019)

In the 1996–97 season, the club finished runners-up in the Second Division and returned to the First Division. They finished fifth in their first season back in the First Division. However, they were once again relegated after finishing bottom of the league table with 4 points from 16 games in 1999. Eventually, the club returned to the First Division after finishing third in the 2002 Second Division League, behind Sheikh Russel KC and East End Club, with 37 points from 17 games. In July of that year, Wanderers returned to the First Division and finished league champions in September, securing their return to the top-tier after a decade of absence.

The club entered the Premier Division in 2003–04 season, with general secretary Mohammed Selim, promising to form a strong team. Nevertheless, Wanderers finished seventh in the ten team league, five points clear of relegation. Notably, the Wanderers held defending champions and former rivals Mohammedan to a 1–1 draw. The club were eventually relegated from the Premier Division in 2005, finishing eight with 13 points from 18 games. On 20 September 2005, the club formed a two-member inquiry committee including vice-president Mohammad Mohon and hockey secretary Mohammad Kamrul Islam Kismat in order to investigate their relegation. In 2007, the club appointed former captain and general secretary Manzur Hasan Mintu as their president.

In 2008, Wanderers began participating in the Senior Division League, a merger of the Premier and First Division, which served as the second tier below the country's first professional football league, the Bangladesh Premier League. The club finished sixth that season, led by their striker Hirok Joarder. In the following decade, with the introduction of the second-tier professional league, the Bangladesh Championship League, the Senior Division, now serving as the third tier, was only held five times. Eventually, the club finished runners-up in the 2018–19 season, securing their place in the professional second-tier league.

Casino scandal and reformation (2019–2023)

On 18 September 2019, Wanderers was among four clubs in Motijheel raided by the Bangladesh Police, who discovered an illegal casino operating within the club's premises. The club tent housed a variety of gambling activities, including casinos, gutters, gambling tokens, and lotteries. According to reports, the casino's activities were controlled by AKM Mominul Haque Sayeed, who was at the time a commissioner of Dhaka South City Corporation Ward-9. Molla Mohammad Abu Kawser, the club's president and also the president of Awami League's associate wing Swechasebak League, jointly ran the casino. On 26 September, seven cases were filed against Awami League leader and club director Enamul Haque Enu and his brother Rupon Bhuiyan. The brothers were eventually arrested on 13 January 2020. The club secretary Joy Gopal Sarkar, who allegedly began the gambling culture in the club in 2007, was arrested by the CID on 13 July 2020.

Following the casino raid, president Molla Mohammad Abu Kawsar resigned citing personal reasons leading to vice-president Kazi Shahidullah Liton being nominated as the president and joint secretary Vipul Ghosh Shankar as the general secretary. With the Championship League being cancelled in the 2019–20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wanderers began participating in the second-tier professional league from the 2020–21 season. The club finished seventh during their first season in the Championship League with 7 victories from 22 games. In March 2021, it was revealed that the team's coach, Kamal Babu, paid Tk 18,000 to the footballers out of his own pocket, foregoing his own salary. Despite their struggles to participate in the league, the Bangladesh Football Federation had allegedly not yet paid the club their participation fee. Amid this challenging situation, a major football-related institution provided the club with a check for Rs 3 lakh.

On 15 September 2021, the club formed a 28-member executive committee, with Kazi Shahidullah Liton remaining as president, while Nizam Uddin Chowdhury Parvez and Kamal Hossain were elected as vice-president and general secretary, respectively. It was also revealed that Md Sumon Alam would serve as the club's football secretary. The club finished the 2021–22 season in ninth place and were only two points clear of relegation back to semi-professional football. The following season, under the coaching of Arman Hossain, Wanderers finished seventh, five points clear of relegation.

Premier League status (2023–present)

On 1 September 2023, the club premises were reopened after being under lockdown for almost four years. The club hired experienced coach Abu Yusuf and appointed long-time servant Jahid Hossain as club captain for the 2023–24 Championship League. They secured promotion to the Bangladesh Premier League as league runners-up after a goalless draw against Bff Elite Academy on 24 April 2024. This marked their return to the top flight after 19 years and their first-ever participation in the Premier League. On 29 July 2024, Kazi Shahidullah Liton was again elected as the club president following an uncontested election.

Following the Non-cooperation movement on 5 August 2024, Liton distanced himself from the club, prompting the formation of a new team for the Premier League under convener Abdus Salam. On 25 September 2024, less than two months after the previous committee's formation, BNP politician Abdus Salam and sports organizer Mahbubur Rahman Shahin were elected as the new club president and general secretary, respectively.

Rivalries

The club's main local rival is Dhaka Mohammedan. The rivalry dates back to 1956 when Mohammedan acquired numerous players from Dhaka Wanderers, who had left due to internal conflicts within their club. Despite this, Wanderers were crowned champions that year. Both clubs were tied on points, and Mohammedan's refusal to play a playoff final resulted in the league title being awarded to Wanderers. Following their final First Division title in 1960, the rest of the decade saw Mohammedan's dominance. Notably, Wanderers lost the prestigious Mohammad Ali Bogra Shield final in 1966, contested by the two Dhaka-based teams in Rawalpindi.

Prior to the Independence of Bangladesh, both clubs had won seven Dhaka First Division League titles. However, following the Bangladesh Liberation War, Wanderers struggled to compete with the financial power of EPIDC and Dhaka Abahani. Abahani eventually overtook Wanderers to become the country's second most successful club with 11 First Division titles, behind Mohammedan's 19. This placed Wanderers as the third most successful club in the country.

In 1972, Wanderers faced Abahani in the first league season following the country's independence. The match, where Abahani led 1-0, was suspended after Wanderers supporters entered the field and attacked the opposition players with wooden sticks. However, the club's fan base soon diminished with the rise of popular teams such as Abahani, Brothers Union, and Muktijoddha Sangsad KC in the late 70s and early 80s.

Since the introduction of the Bangladesh Premier League, Wanderers have yet to face Mohammedan. However, the club's promotion from the 2023–24 Bangladesh Championship League means they will have the opportunity to participate in the Premier League from the 2024–25 season.

Current squad

Current technical staff

Coaching staff

Board of directors

Team records

Head coach's record

Season by season record

Honours

League

* Dhaka First Division League (level 1)
** Champions (7): 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1960
** Runners-up (7): 1949, 1952, 1957, 1959, 1963, 1966, 1970
* Dhaka First Division League (level 2)
** Champions (1): 2002
* Bangladesh Championship League
** Runners-up (1): 2023–24
* Dhaka Senior Division League (level 3)
** Runners-up (1): 2018–19
* Dhaka Second Division League (level 3)
** Runners-up (1): 1996–97

Cup

* Ronaldshay Shield
** Champions (1): 1949
* Independence Day Tournament
** Champions (5): 1955, 1956, 1957, 1963, 1966
** Runners-up (1): 1960
* Aga Khan Gold CupThe competition is widely regarded as the predecessor of AFC Champions League (held for the first time in 1967), since it was the first organized international competition that involved club teams around Asia, organized by the football authorities of East Pakistan, in collaboration with Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
** Runners-up (1): 1963
* All Pakistan Mohammad Ali Bogra Shield
** Runners-up (1): 1966
* Federation Cup
** Runners-up (1): 1987

Notable players

* Wajeed Ali Miazi (1939–63)
* Sheikh Shaheb Ali (1948–51)
* Abdur Rahim (1948–52; 1953–56)
* Ghulam Rabbani (1959–65)
* Kabir Ahmed (1955)
* Amir Jang Ghaznavi (1954–56)
* Nabi Chowdhury (1954–57)
* Manzur Hasan Mintu (1958–64)
* Mari Chowdhury (1959–60)
* Gafur Baloch (1959–65; 1969–71)
* Abdullah Rahi (1963)
* Abdul Ghafoor (1963)
* Yousuf Sr. (1963)
* Murad Bakhsh (1960–63)
* Abdul Jabbar (1960s)
* P.D. Sirisena (1963; 1965)
* Muhammad Umer (1963; 1966)
* Ghulam Abbas Baloch (1963; 1966)
* Mohammed Rahmatullah (1965–66)
* Hafizuddin Ahmed (1966–67)
* Moosa Ghazi (1970)
* Ganesh Thapa (1983)

Other departments

Field hockey

Dhaka Wanderers Club has a field hockey team that competes in the First Division Hockey League, the second tier of Bangladeshi hockey. The club was relegated from the top-tier Premier Division in 2018. In that season, they finished at the bottom of the league with 10 losses and just 1 point from 11 matches.

Swimming

The club, unlike most sports clubs in Bangladesh, has a swimming team. In 2017, the team won 18 gold medals in the Inter-club Swimming Competition held in Chittagong. However, due to the lack of regular swimming competitions in the country, the club rarely invests in the team.

Kabaddi

The club's Kabaddi team participates in the Premier Division Kabaddi League. In 2008, the Wanderers formed a women's team to participate in the Exim Bank Women's Kabaddi Tournament.

See also

* List of football clubs in Bangladesh
* History of football in Bangladesh

Notes

References

Further reading

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External links

{{Commons category, Dhaka Wanderers Club
Team info
at BD League
Team info
at Global Sports Archive

Dhaka Wanderers Club
Football clubs in Bangladesh
Association football clubs established in 1937
Sport in Dhaka