Ashha Roy, 17, was excited to participate in the Women’s Football Championship, but her hopes were deteriorating as the Islamists were forced to cancel the match in northern Bangladesh.

Shortly before the start of the match earlier this month, the Islam Group Anolan Bangladesh announced a protest gathering against the event in the Ranjour region, saying it was non -Islamic.

For fear of trouble, the local police intervened and asked the members of the women’s team to return to their home for their safety.

“I was frustrated and afraid. We did not face such a situation before. It was disappointing that we went back without playing,” Mrs. Roy told the BBC.

Bangladesh, a Muslim -majority nation, is currently subject to a political transition yet Hurry up protests rejoiced by its authoritarian government last year.

The temporary administration is currently responsible, but there are fears that the Islamic groups, which have been pushed into the margin, have arisen again.

The women’s football match was the third cancellation in northern Bangladesh in less than two weeks due to the objections of religious militants.

In the Dinajpur area, about 70 km (43 miles) west of Rangpur, the Islamists protested a match that clashed with the locals who supported it, leaving four people who were injured.

For girls such as Asha Roy, who come from rural areas, football and other sports, is a source of female empowerment and a way out of poverty. Those who shine to play for the teams you sponsor can be chosen and others continue to represent Bangladesh internationally.

Several girls have been inspired by football thanks to the success of the national team for women, who are considered to be champions after winning football championships in a row in South Asia in recent years.

Msammat Tara Moni’s colleague, Musammat Tara Moni, said that she will not stop playing despite the threats.

“It is my dream to represent our national team. My family supports me, so I do not lose hope,” said 16 -year -old.

For their coach, Nurul Al -Islam, the objections came as a surprise. “The team has moved to many championships over the past seven years, but it is the first time that we face such a situation,” he said.

The Islamists insist that the match they stopped were against their religious values ​​and say they are determined to prevent any future soccer games.

“If women want to play football, they must cover their entire body, and they can only play in front of female spectators. Men cannot watch them play.” BBC said.

Mr. Ali also insisted that the group “definitely” wants solid Islamic law in Bangladesh.

The cancellation of women’s football matches caused a stir on social media, prompting the authorities to reorganize one of them. They also launched an investigation into the accidents, but they say the fear of extremism is exaggerated.

“There is no truth in allegations that the government is flowing to the Islamists,” Shafa Allam, the press secretary of the interim leader, Mohamed Yunus, told the BBC.

Mr. Alam pointed out that hundreds of women’s sport matches were held as part of the National Youth Festival in January, and that they played throughout the country without any problem.

Some people are not reassured. “Certainly worried,” Samina Luthafa, a sociology professor at Dhaka University, told the BBC that to cancel women’s football matches.

She said, “Bangladesh women will not stop playing football and will not stop going to work or doing their things,” adding that “everyone will fight” to remove women from public places.

These other decisions, which the interim government has taken since he took power in August regarding Islamic extremism, has also sparked concerns.

It includes nullifying a ban on the largest Islamic party in the country, the Islamic group, which was presented in recent days from the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Husaynah.

Jashimuddin Rahmani, leader of the banned Islamic group Ansarullah Bangladesh (ABT) – is now known as Ansar El Islam – in August after the court granted him a bail. He was sentenced to five years in prison for killing a secular blogger in 2013, but he remained behind bars due to other suspended cases.

According to local media reports, many other people were accused of links with extremist groups Looking at the sponsorship in the past few months.

“Although the security forces say they will monitor those who have been released, it will be difficult for everyone to put under observation by looking at the restrictions,” says Dr. Tawliol Hook, a crime analyst from Dhaka University.

While most Bangladeshites practice moderate Islam and secular values ​​dominate society, Islamic extremism is not a new phenomenon in the country. A decade ago, religious fanatics targeted secular bloggers, atheists, minorities, foreigners and others in a set of attacks – killing dozens and sending others fleeing abroad.

In one of these incidents, a group of Islamic militants stormed the Holi Craftsman’s bakery in Dhaka in 2016, killing 20 people.

It is not just a women’s football games that were also targeted as well. Last week, dozens of Islamic students sabotage a kiosk at the famous Ekushey Book Fair in Dhaka.

The demonstrators were angry at the presentation of the book of the Nasan Women’s Copyright, Nasserin, who in the past received death threats from Islamic groups when they say they are their empty writings.

Mohamed Younis condemned the incident, saying that the attack “shows contempt for all the rights of the Bangladesh citizens and the laws of our country.” The police are investigating.

Meanwhile, Buri Mony, one of the best well -known actors in the country, said it is time from the opening of a multi -section store in the northern town of Tangail after the protests were reported by religious groups.

“Now I really feel unable, in addition to insecurity. It is part of my job to participate in opening a showroom or a similar event. No one has stopped me throughout these years,” Mrs. Moni said.

Similar events that included other actors, APU Biswas and Mehazabien Chowdhury, were also canceled after Islamic threats.

Minority groups such as Sufi Muslims say they are also witnessing increasing attacks on their places of worship. Islamist extremists see heresy.

“About one hundred of our shrines [mazars] “The centers have been attacked in the past six months,” Ansur Rahman Jafri, Secretary -General of the World Sufi Foundation, told the BBC.

He added: “We have not seen this kind of sudden extremist attack on us since the country’s independence in 1971,” warning that the country was at risk of “confirmation” if the situation continued.

The police said only 40 moods were damaged and that they had climbed security around religious sites.

The authorities were also struggling to preserve the law and order in the wake of the departure of Sheikh Hasina. Earlier this month, thousands of demonstrators Decreased homes and buildings Related to Hassan and the senior leaders of her concert in the Awami League.

People from other groups and parties, including Islamists, joined other demonstrations in the capital, Dhaka and all over the country.

The authorities defended the security forces not to intervene, saying that doing this was costing life.

Rights groups have expressed concern about the security situation.

Sherine Haqa, a prominent women’s rights activist, said, “BBC.”

“I am still optimistic that this phenomenon will not preserve it,” she added.

Additional reports from the Bengal Bengali service in Dhaka