The FIFA World Cup is the most prestigious and thrilling football event. The curtain has finally opened on this thrilling event in Qatar after four years of anticipation. On November 21, vibrant fireworks erupted over Doha. However, even though Bangladesh does not have a team, its citizens are present on the World Cup stage. The World Cup dubbed the “Greatest Show on Earth,” is organized in some way that involves Bangladesh, from field to field, in every instance. Bangladeshi ex-pats are involved everywhere, whether it is in the stadium’s construction, the t-shirts worn by officials, organizing the referees, or the field’s medical system.
Thousands of fans, players, FIFA officials, and millions of tourists have gathered in anticipation of the World Cup 2022. For their comfort, many opulent hotels have been constructed. Following the World Cup, Bangladesh is heavily involved in the security, hospitality, transportation, and service industries.
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Contribution of Bangladesh
This oil-rich nation in the Middle East employs a sizable number of expatriate Bangladeshis, and their contribution to the economy of the nation is clear. The football celebration in the middle of the desert is equated with the sweat and blood of foreign employees. To ensure the success of the World Cup, thousands of professionals have relocated to Qatar over the previous few years. The goal is to focus on building infrastructure in Qatar in preparation for the World Cup. The Qatari government has already constructed a “flag plaza” where the Bangladeshi flag has also been displayed due to the expansion of infrastructure in Qatar and the construction of eight stadiums built for the World Cup. Qatar has honored the worth of foreign employees.
Qatar has undertaken all kinds of incredible initiatives. Redesigned communication and lodging arrangements have been made. The key players in completing the 18 lakh crore takas worth of big projects in Qatar are its 2 million expatriate workers. They are primarily Bangladeshis. The fruits of their labor include a posh hotel, the Doha Metro, airports, and a brand-new city called Lusail.
To ensure the success of the major event, Qatar has put forth endless effort. Tall structures have been built in a number of Qatari cities. The airport was constructed to make transit easier. To ensure passenger service, both new and damaged roads have been built and repaired.
The sweat of Bangladeshi workers is mixed with every work
It is surprising, but true because 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 in order to preserve the country’s good name.
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By producing cloth for export worth roughly TK. 13 crore, Sonnet Textile Industries Ltd. has elevated the nation to a new level. Sports Master, a Moscow-based buying group, imports these jerseys from Bangladesh. The fact that Bangladeshi apparel is worn at important events like the World Cup not only demonstrates the nation’s ability in the garment industry but is also a significant honor for the nation.
Bangladesh is able to provide any type of apparel, including jackets, caps, socks, gloves, trousers, and other World Cup football accessories, in addition to jerseys. Previously, the renowned Bangladeshi clothing sector provided 4 lakh jackets for the 2018 Euro Cup and 4.5 lakh jackets for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. These jerseys, made by the devoted labor of Bangladeshi garment workers, deserve praise on a global scale.
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.
The “Education City Stadium,” one of the eight stadiums in the Qatar World Cup, lies in the city of Al-Rayyan and is where Bangladesh has previously played. since Qatari engineer, Washikur Rahman Shubo performed a unique role in the stadium’s construction. He worked as the project’s structural chief engineer.
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.
The way forward
In the Qatar World Cup, volunteers are referred to as “The Heart of the Tournament.” where more than 400 Bangladeshi volunteers are serving as FIFA official volunteers to represent Bangladesh.
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The FIFA World Cup in Qatar will take place from November 20 to December 18, lasting nearly a month. 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.
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, including the stadium. 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 1,018 Bangladeshis among them.
Briefly said, Bangladeshis living abroad play a vital role in building Qatar’s infrastructure and implementing the World Cup’s many activities. The Bangladesh flag holder is present at the World Cup even though Bangladesh is not playing in the tournament. On the magnificent stage of Qatar, other nations’ faces will be adorned with a portion of Bangladesh’s pride. On the back of the T-shirt, a tag that reads “Made in Bangladesh” will be prominently displayed. The fact that Lal Sabuj’s name is connected to the Greatest Show on Earth makes all Bangladeshis, whether they live in Bangladesh or outside the nation, feel proud.
The writer is a Researcher and Strategic affairs analyst in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.