State minister for youth and sports Aminul Haque was nostalgic during the unveiling ceremony of the Bangladesh national football team’s new home and away jerseys on Tuesday.

The new kits, produced by DOUR, were unveiled at the National Sports Council auditorium in Dhaka in the presence of Aminul and Bangladesh Football Federation president Tabith Awal.

The former national team captain and goalkeeper reminisced about his playing days and recalled how jerseys were distributed in a more casual way compared to the present day.

‘When we played, we didn’t think much about jersey unveiling or branding. Officials would make a local jersey for us, and we would go onto the field wearing it,’ Aminul said during the event.

He took great pride in the national team jersey and urged everyone to support the team and federation.

‘Today, that jersey of Bangladesh has become known worldwide. This is a matter of immense joy and pride for us. I urge everyone to stand by the BFF and help elevate the Bangladeshi jersey to greater heights; corporate organisations should also come forward.

‘The current government is giving utmost importance to sports, and we need everyone’s cooperation in this initiative,’ he added.

The launch had originally been scheduled for last month but was delayed. The home and away kits have received approval, while the third kit is still awaiting clearance.

BFF president said, ‘This jersey is like another flag for us. You have seen this jersey at Dhaka Stadium, Singapore Stadium, Hong Kong Stadium, and just recently at the San Marino Stadium. When everyone goes to the stadium wearing the same white jersey, the same red jersey, or the green jersey, it is truly incredible that Bangladesh becomes a big team in the eyes of those countries and fans.’

Tabith also said how Bangladesh’s large population has become an asset and attracted many countries to play against them, as it boosts ticket sales and hospitality.

The jerseys are expected to be available through online and physical outlets, with DOUR also planning to take them to international markets, including Singapore and South America.

The managing director and CEO of DOUR, Abid Alam Chowdhury, said demand had already been strong, with corporate buyers including Robi and Banglalink placing orders.

Around 1,000 to 1,500 jerseys had been ordered by corporate clients, while total sales were reported at about 35,000.

Dour is targeting sales of 100,000 jerseys by December as Bangladesh prepare for the FIFA ASEAN Cup and the SAFF Championship.

The official jersey will cost Tk 1,600, while a version carrying a player’s name and number will be priced at Tk 1,700. A fan edition will be available for Tk 700, the same price as the previous version.

A substantial share of jersey sales would go to the BFF as royalty, although it was not disclosed.