El Clasico, Old Fern, North London Derby, Kolkata Derby, none match up to the atmosphere of Dhaka Derby in its heydays. The clash of two rivals, battling for the top spot in the toughest league during the 80’s. Before sports colonization, there used to be one fixture in the minds of millions, Abahani vs Mohammedan. Even with reputable clubs like Brothers, Rahmatgonj, Fakirapool, Wanderers, and more, this clash between titans was always a household staple. The 80’s and 90’s was coined as the golden age of football in Bangladesh, with these two teams competing to win the illustrious league in the nation. Even if it’s now a historical event, this rivalry between Spartans has transformed local football for generations. 

At first glance, this clash may seem like David vs Goliath, with Mohammedan having 40 years of rich heritage and Abahani being newcomers after Bangladesh’s independence. Unfortunately, this was not the case between them. In their first ever game, Abahani stunned the Black and Whites, defeating them 2-0 with strikes from Salahuddin and Amalesh Sen. This stirred immense interest from observers all over the nation, with many transitioning over to begin supporting the Sky Blue Brigade. 

However, the antagonism reached its peak during the 1978 Asian games. When the nation first qualified for the games in Bangkok, The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) initially selected star statesmen Monowar Hossain Nannu to wear the armband. However, a striking 11th hour decision by the federation led to goalkeeper Shahidur Rahman Chowdhury (Shantoo) from Mohammedan to lead the team, sparking massive protests which led to 7 Abahani players rescinding from participation. This led to humiliation for the national team in the first ever major tournament, losing to Malaysia and India by 1 and 3 goals respectively. Since then, BFF has strictly adhered to protocol by selecting national team players outside of the two giants. 

After this calamity, the 80’s and early 90’s arrived for Bangladeshi football, bringing the golden decade (and a few more years) to the lush green fields across Dhaka. Every household had either an Abahani or Mohammedan supporter, sparking colossal brawls leading to injuries anytime the derby was approaching. Many Dhaka Derbies were conducted in closed doors due to the gargantuan scale of fights, with many instances featuring fans attacking players and the other fanbase, leading to police intervention. This was the Golden Age of Football in the country, during when greats like Aslam and Salahuddin terrorized turfs all across the nation, with these two clubs sharing the titles during the period. 

However, with the introduction of European Football with live broadcasting, many swapped afternoons for late night weekends to enjoy the allure and charm of Baggio, Zidane, Beckham, Ronaldo Nazario instead of Prem Lal, Mizan, and Rana. This subsequently led to the demise of the Dhaka Derby, with only a handful of newspapers providing a brief summary at the bottom corner of the sports page. With many being bamboozled by the twists and twirls of Ronaldo and Messi, the present generation has never witnessed a Dhaka Derby, let alone being exposed to the high voltage atmosphere. This sparks the biggest concern for the forthcoming generation, will they even know Abahani and Mohammedan? 

Regardless, this behemoth encounter between Gladiators of football has captivated sports lovers for decades, accentuating the flair and class of Bangladesh football during its heydays. If managed properly, this combat could have shaped Asian Football for centuries. However, supporters can only remain steadfast and wonder about the true potential of this derby, electrifying Dhaka streets and forever transforming the beautiful game for generations.