Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has provided financial assistance for the construction of a house for Ritu Porna Chakma, one of the leading players of the Bangladesh national women's football team.
The prime minister handed over the cheque to the footballer at his office in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon during a break in the ongoing budget session, according to Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Md Suzauddhowla, also known as Sujon Mahmud.
Among those present at the event were Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque, Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs State Minister Mir Helal Uddin, Textiles and Jute State Minister Shariful Alam, and Bangladesh Football Federation President Tabith Awal.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party had also previously supported Ritu Porna and her family. In 2025, financial assistance was provided for the treatment of her mother, who was suffering from cancer, under the direction of Tarique Rahman, then serving as the party’s acting chairman.
Following his instructions, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and 'Amra BNP Poribar' Convener Atikur Rahman Ruman visited the footballer's home in a remote area of Rangamati to inquire about her mother's condition and deliver the assistance.
Ritu Porna has played a significant role in the rise of Bangladesh women's football. She was a key member of the national team that won the SAFF Women's Championship in both 2022 and 2024.
She also contributed to Bangladesh's historic qualification for the final round of the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2025, marking the country's first appearance at that stage of the competition.
Coming from a modest family in the Chattogram Hill Tracts, Ritu Porna has achieved success at both national and international levels and has become an inspiration for aspiring women footballers across Bangladesh.
