Former women’s footballer Joya Chakma is set to become the first Bangladeshi female international football referee while Salma Islam is set to become an assistant referee.
They have cleared the FIFA fitness tests and are waiting to hear from the internal football body.


Once approved by FIFA, the two women will be allowed to officiate international football matches.
“Both of them cleared the tests set by FIFA. There is no bar on them becoming referee and assistant referee,” said Bangladesh Football Federation Referees Committee Deputy Chairman Ibrahim Nesa.
He added that their results would be sent to FIFA without any delay and hoped that they would be recognised before next year, enabling them to referee the international FIFA-FC matches.
Responding to Bangla Tribune’s queries, she said that seeing women referees from across the world during an international match in 2018 while there were none from Bangladesh is what drove her to take the tests.
There are currently four female FIFA referees in South Asia and Joya hopes to be the fifth.
“If India, Nepal and Bhutan can have FIFA referees, why can’t Bangladesh? I think that my success will inspire others,” she said.
Joya stepped into the world of refereeing in 2010, played for BJMC till 2016 and currently serves as the BKSP women’s team coach.
She is a history graduate from Jahangirnagar University and holds a diploma on sports science.