Wanderers wander into a quagmire of gambling

Thanks to a change in political backdrop, along with incapability of organisers, Dhaka Wanderers has lost the charm it once had. 

But people around the club still hoped that it would once again rise to the top of the tree. 

Previously named Muslim Wanderers, it became Dhaka Wanderers over time as a bunch of sports-lovers from Old Dhaka brought the club into a prominent position in the local sports arena. 

It did not take time for Wanderers to become popular after their debut on the Dhaka football scene in 1937.

With the help of Gafur Beluch, Manjur Hasan and Santu – Wanderers lifted the senior division trophy five times.

But the irony is, none of those memoirs exist in the trophy cabinet of the club as they were burnt in a local riot. 

Wanderers are the only club in Bangladesh to have won the IFA shield, and that too was lost after that tragic incident. 

As time passed on, Wanderers not only lost their achievements but also their glorious past.

But a precious photo of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - who was a player for the club and is seen wearing the team jersey - still remains as a historical artefact of the country's sports arena. 

Like the trophies in the showcase, the performance of Wanderers after the Liberation War had become dusty and ruffled. 

The club officials, however, blamed the change in the political context of the country as the reason behind such a downfall. 

And now the worst of blows have hit the club as it has been raided by the police because it has turned into a gambling club and a casino. 

"The club has close to 100 years of glorious football history. The fact that this turned into a gambling house was completely unexpected and I'm shocked. There are no sporting activities there. It's just a casino. The players are helpless. They can't even train there and have to train elsewhere," said senior sports journalist and founder of sports-based website globalsports.com.bd Raihan Mahmood. 

But with the club turning into an arena for gambling and other banned sports, questions of how the club will regain its past glory still remains at large, and nobody knows the answer to that.