Nowsheruzzaman
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AKM Nowsheruzzaman (; 5 December 1950 – 21 September 2020), better known as Nowsher, was a Bangladeshi
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a striker or left-winger. In 1971, he toured
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
with the
Shadhin Bangla football team The Shadhin Bangla football team ( Bengali : স্বাধীন বাংলা ফুটবল দল; ''lit. Independent Bengal football team'') was formed by Bangladesh Krira Samity of the Bangladeshi government in exile shortly after the ...
in order to raise international awareness about the
Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War (, ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalism, Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which res ...
. After liberation, he was also part of the first ever
Bangladesh national football team The Bangladesh national football team () is the national recognised football team of Bangladesh and is controlled by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) since 1973 and of FIFA sin ...
. In 1973, Nowsher scored the only goal in a friendly match against
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, securing Bangladesh their inaugural international football victory. While at club level, his best season was in 1975 for Mohammedan SC, when he became the First Division League top-scorer with 21 goals.


Personal life

Born in Munshiganj Sardar,
East Bengal East Bengal (; ''Purbô Bangla/Purbôbongo'') was the eastern province of the Dominion of Pakistan, which covered the territory of modern-day Bangladesh. It consisted of the eastern portion of the Bengal region, and existed from 1947 until 195 ...
, Nowsher's family had originally moved from Chandpur due to his father's job as a lawyer. Nowhser was the third oldest among seven brothers and two sisters. Five of his brothers were also footballers, among them Sharifuzzaman and Arifuzzaman played alongside him at Mohammedan SC, in 1976. While the other two Ashraf and Mamun played in the Dhaka for Dilkusha SC and
Victoria SC Victoria Sporting Club (), commonly known as Victoria SC, is a football club based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Founded in 1903, the club competes in the Dhaka Second Division Football League, Dhaka Second Division League, the fourth tier of football i ...
respectively. In 1967, Nowsher came to Dhaka and got admitted to
Dhaka University The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka was founded in 1921 ...
studying
zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...
. Nowhser was married to Zafarin Zaman, with whom he had a daughter named Simin Noor Zaman and a son named Moinuzzaman.


Club career

Nowsher first came to
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...
in 1967, where he trialed for the East Pakistan Junior Team after being recommended by Azad Boys Club's Mohamed Mustaq, who had witnessed Nowsher's game in Munshiganj. During the trials he impressed
Sheikh Shaheb Ali Sheikh Shaheb Ali (; 1 July 1915 – 1 June 2004) was a Bangladeshi association football, football player and coach. He is the only East Pakistani to have both played for and coached the Pakistan national football team. He was the first head coac ...
and was invited to the youth team's camp. While training with the youth team, Nowsher was accepted into Dhaka University, thus, he decided to stay in Dhaka. He joined Railway Blues Club in the same year, however, he did not make any appearances. In 1968, he would make his First Division League debut, scoring twice for
Wari Club Wari Club () is an association football club from Dhaka, Bangladesh. It currently competes in the Bangladesh Championship League (BCL). Wari Club is the oldest football club in Bangladesh, established in 1898. The club's motto is ''One heart on ...
in a 3–1 victory over East End Club. In 1969, he moved to Fire Service SC, after the club agreed to pay all his university expenses. The following year, he joined
Victoria SC Victoria Sporting Club (), commonly known as Victoria SC, is a football club based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Founded in 1903, the club competes in the Dhaka Second Division Football League, Dhaka Second Division League, the fourth tier of football i ...
, and guided the team to a fourth-place finish, however, his club career was halted due to the
Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War (, ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalism, Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which res ...
, in 1971. When the First Division resumed in 1972, Nowsher joined WAPDA SC, and scored 16 goals in 7 games during the unfinished league season. At WAPDA Scottish coach Sandy converted Nowhser, who originally played as a left-winger to a striker and in 1973 he attracted interest from Mohammedan SC. After deciding to remain with WAPDA, Nowsher linked up with
Enayetur Rahman Enayetur Rahman Khan (; born 28 February 1951) is a former Bangladeshi footballer who played as a striker. He holds the record of scoring the Bangladesh national team's first-ever international goal, which came in a 2–2 draw against Thailand ...
and helped the club finish the first phase of the 1974 league season top of the table, however, during the second phase the club's form fell due to internal issues. In 1975, Nowsher joined Mohammedan SC, a club which he supported as a child. In his debut season, he became top scorer with 21 goals, as ''The Black and Whites'' won the First Division for the first time since Bangladesh's independence. That season he scored a
bicycle kick In association football, a bicycle kick, also known as an overhead kick or scissors kick, is an acrobatic strike where a player kicks an airborne ball rearward in midair. It is achieved by throwing the body backward up into the air and, before ...
against his former club Victoria SC and also found the net in a famous 4–0 victory over
Abahani Krira Chakra Abahani Limited Dhaka (), also referred 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 Premier League, the top ...
in the Dhaka Derby. The other scorers in the game were, Md Moin,
Hafizuddin Ahmed Hafizuddin Ahmed is a politician of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and a retired Bangladesh Army major, and a six-term Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Bhola-3 constituency. He fought in the Bangladesh War of Independence and was awar ...
and Wazed Gazi, while defender Shamsul Alam Manju made headlines for taunting Abahani team leader,
Sheikh Kamal Sheikh Kamal (5 August 1949 – 15 August 1975) was a Bangladeshi politician, athlete and military officer. He was the eldest son of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of Bangladesh, and the younger brother of Sheikh Hasina, who would ...
. In 1976, Nowsher again became league champion, however he broke his leg that year and lost his place in the team. In 1978, he joined Dhaka Wanderers and retired while playing for them in 1980.


International career

In 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation War, Nowsher travelled to
Agartala Agartala (, , ) is the capital and the List of cities and towns in Tripura, largest city of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tripura, situated on the banks of Haora River, Haora/Saidra River, about east of the border ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, where he met up with Mohammedan teammate Mohamed Kaikobad and his ex-colleague at WAPDA, Enayetur Rahman Khan. With Enaytur and Kaikobad, Nowsher played for Birendra Club in the Agartala League, and became champions. Later, Protap Shankar Hazra the vice-captain of the
Shadhin Bangla football team The Shadhin Bangla football team ( Bengali : স্বাধীন বাংলা ফুটবল দল; ''lit. Independent Bengal football team'') was formed by Bangladesh Krira Samity of the Bangladeshi government in exile shortly after the ...
, took the players to
Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...
to join the rest of the team. During a game against Bombay XI, Nowsher scored an Olympico goal in a 3–1 victory. After returning to the newly liberated country, Nowsher played for Bangladesh XI in the first football match held in
Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
, coming on as a substitute as his team lost 2–0 to Presidents XI. On 13 May 1972, Nowsher played for Dhaka XI (unofficial national team), during their 1–0 win over
Mohun Bagan AC Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Founded in 1889, it is one of the oldest multi-sports clubs in Asia. The club has various sports departments like association football, footb ...
, when the Indian club came to Bangladesh as the first international team. In 1972, Nowsher went to
Guwahati Guwahati () the largest city of the Indian state of Assam, and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the seat of the Government of Assam. Th ...
with the Dhaka XI to play the
Bordoloi Trophy The Bharat Ratna Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Trophy, commonly known as Bordoloi Trophy, is a premier annual Indian football tournament held in Guwahati and organized by the Guwahati Sports Association (GSA). The tournament was founded in 1952 by ...
. Nowsher was the team's top-scorer, as they finished runner-up losing to
East Bengal Club East Bengal Club, commonly referred to as East Bengal (), is an Indian professional multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is best known for its professional men's association football, football team that competes in the Indian ...
in the final. One of his goals during the tournament came in a 2–0 over George Telegraph. In 1973,
Sheikh Shaheb Ali Sheikh Shaheb Ali (; 1 July 1915 – 1 June 2004) was a Bangladeshi association football, football player and coach. He is the only East Pakistani to have both played for and coached the Pakistan national football team. He was the first head coac ...
called up eight players from W.A.P.D.A including Nowhser and his brother Sharifuzzaman, to the first
Bangladesh national football team The Bangladesh national football team () is the national recognised football team of Bangladesh and is controlled by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) since 1973 and of FIFA sin ...
, which took part in Malaysia's
Merdeka Tournament Merdeka Tournament () is an international friendly football tournament held in Malaysia to commemorate the Independence Day. It is mainly played at Independence Stadium, in Kuala Lumpur. "Merdeka" is the Malay word for independence. As of 202 ...
. After Bangladesh ended the tournament without a single win, the
Bangladesh Football Federation Bangladesh Football Federation (, ''Bānglādesh fūṭbôl fēḍārēshôn'') is the governing body that administers the sport of association football in Bangladesh. It is in charge of running the country's men's and women's national teams, ...
decided to hold a friendly game with
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
on their way back from Malaysia. On 13 August 1973, Nowsher scored the only goal against Singapore from a
Monwar Hossain Nannu Monwar Hossain Nannu (; 27 August 1948 – 16 February 2008) was a Bangladeshi football player during the 1970s and early 1980s. Initially, he played as an attacking midfielder for Abahani Krira Chakra in the First Division. Following an injury ...
cross, as Bangladesh claimed their first ever win in international football. Nowsher's only other tournament with Bangladesh was the 1975 edition of the Merdeka Cup, as he was not called up to the team again after breaking his leg in 1976.


International goals


Honours

Mohammedan SC * Dhaka First Division League: 1975, 1976


Awards and accolades

*
Dhaka University The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka was founded in 1921 ...
Blue Award


Individual

* Dhaka First Division League top scorer: 1975


Cricket career

During the football off season, Nowhser would play cricket. He joined Town Club in 1974 and was a crucial player for the Khulna-based team. As an all-rounder, he started playing cricket for Mohammedan SC the same year he won the football league with the club. The following year, they won the 1976 Independence Cup trophy with the Black & Whites. He played as an opening batsman with Raqibul Hasan in Mohammedan. Nowsher came out as an opener against Biman and batted the entire innings remaining
Not out In cricket, a batsman is not out if they come out to bat in an innings and have not been dismissed by the end of an innings. The batsman is also ''not out'' while their innings is still in progress. Occurrence At least one batter is not out at ...
with 69 runs. He went onto play for Dhaka Wanderers, after he joined the club in 1978 and following his retirement from playing football in 1980, he kept on playing cricket with
Victoria SC Victoria Sporting Club (), commonly known as Victoria SC, is a football club based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Founded in 1903, the club competes in the Dhaka Second Division Football League, Dhaka Second Division League, the fourth tier of football i ...
. In 1983, he joined Kala Bagan Krira Chakra, where he was captain for five years, before retiring from cricket in 1990. After independence, Nowsher is one of a few players to be part of both Mohammedan SC's first
Dhaka First Division Football League Dhaka Senior Division Football League (), or the First Division Football League, is the third tier football league in Bangladesh. Until 2006, it was the top-tier league of the country. It was established in 1948 as part of the Dhaka League, while ...
(1976) and
Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League The Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, also known as the Dhaka Premier League, is a club List A tournament in Bangladesh which has been contested annually since the 1973–74 season. It has had List A status since the 2013–14 season. It is ...
(1978) winning teams.


Cricket honours

Mohammedan SC *
Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League The Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, also known as the Dhaka Premier League, is a club List A tournament in Bangladesh which has been contested annually since the 1973–74 season. It has had List A status since the 2013–14 season. It is ...
: 1978 *Independence Cup: 1976


Death

On 21 November 2020, Nowsher died at the age of 70 after being infected by
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
.


References


Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nowsheruzzaman, AKM 2020 deaths 1950 births Bangladeshi men's footballers Bangladesh men's international footballers Victoria Sporting Club players Mohammedan SC (Dhaka) players Dhaka Wanderers Club players People from Munshiganj District Men's association football forwards University of Dhaka alumni Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh Footballers from Dhaka Division Bangladeshi expatriate sportspeople in India 20th-century Bangladeshi sportsmen 20th-century Pakistani sportsmen