Finland-born Bangali defender Kazi Tariq Raihan has received Bangladesh citizenship this week and been enlisted as one of Bashundhara Kings’ local recruits as the Bangladesh Premier League champion completed their registration for the upcoming season at BFF House in Dhaka Tuesday.
The 19-year old Tariq spent only three days at the new club before leaving for Finland Monday and applied for the passport before the departure.
He is expected to return to the club in January before the BPL, informed Bashundhara’s technical director Bayazid Alam Zubair Nipu.
“It’s one of my childhood wishes to play football in Bangladesh and also for the national team. My father who is a Bangladeshi also wanted the same. I’ll return in January after my examination. Adapting with the conditions here would be the initial challenge,” said Tariq before leaving the capital.
Tariq moved to the senior team of Finland club FC Ilves two years ago from the same club’s youth team.
He was on the radar of Bangladesh’s football team head coach Jamie Day, who commented Tuesday, “He is someone I have spoken to in the past when playing in Finland. Let’s see how he gets on in the premier league.”
