A recent statement by the state minister for sports and youth affairs, Aminul Haque, sparked a huge debate on social media platforms.

The former goalkeeper of the national football team claimed that Zaima Rahman, who is the only daughter of current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, once had a chance to play for the famous Chelsea Football Club in the UK as a goalkeeper. According to the state minister, she was a very talented athlete, but she didn't play eventually due to family choices. He also said that her height made her a "natural fit" for the role between the posts.

However, the public was not ready to believe this easily. In a country where even the men's football players never reached any English clubs, netizens started trolling the minister and Zaima. The Chelsea women's team compete in the Women's Super League, which is the top flight of women's football in England. They've won the WSL 8 times since 2015 - including an incredible run of 6 league titles on the trot from 2020 to 2025.

Many saw it as Aminul making stuff up to please the Prime Minister. The scepticism was high because such an achievement is unheard of in the local sports history. Despite the viral criticism and relentless mockery, nobody from the PM's family issued any clarification on the matter.

But when the trolling refused to stop, a voice from the past came forward to provide the context. A former coach from her school days, Mohammad Hakim, who is now living in Canada, shared some old photos of Zaima playing soccer during her school years at the International School Dhaka (ISD).

Hakim is not just any coach; he has a very strong background in the sports. He played for Mohammedan in the Dhaka Premier League before taking up coaching as a career. He also holds many international certificates, including the Canadian National Goalkeeping Diploma and the NSCAA Advanced National Goalkeeping Diploma. Hakim currently serves as the goalkeeping manager at the Richmond Hill Soccer Club in Canada.

"Zaima was a natural athlete," Hakim remembered during a recent interview with the UNB. He was her coach at ISD, where she was a core member of the team. In that team, she played with Nahar Khan, who is now the Executive Editor of UNB. Nahar was the captain of the squad. Hakim praised Nahar as "one of the most powerful girls" during her school days.

Although Zaima was one of the youngest, she was chosen as the starting goalie because of her height and reflexes. Hakim said that even if he couldn't take her to every match outside the school because of the security issues, her talent was very clear to everyone on the field.

Hakim recalled her athleticism was not limited to football, saying, "In track and field, she would come first in running because she had a big step." He also mentioned that her speed and strength was so good for her age that "she would even beat the boys" during the practice sessions.

While the coach cannot confirm if she really got a call from Chelsea-since he lost contact with the family long ago-he believes she had the potential to go very far. "If she had committed to three months of professional training with the right nutrition, she could have been a national-level goalkeeper," he said.

This controversy comes at a time when women's football in Bangladesh is reaching new heights. The Bangladesh women's team won the two last SAFF Championships in recent years, creating history for the nation. They also made their maiden appearance at the Women's Asia Cup recently. It shows that girls in Bangladesh have great talent, but they still face many challenges regarding the social support, limited funding, and a lack of professional opportunities compared to the men.

Coach Hakim believes that Zaima could play a vital role in changing this scenario. He sees her as a figure who can inspire Bangladeshi girls to pursue sports and professional careers. He believes that if she remains in the country and resists the "negativity" of public criticism, her brave and international approach will naturally open doors for other young women. "If Zaima leaves the country with this negativity, then the whole nation will lose," Hakim warned, noting that her mindset is what the country needs to develop women's sports.

Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque has since clarified his earlier comments about Zaima and her reported chance to play for Chelsea.

In a Facebook post on Aminul's verified page, we learned Zaima played football at school level while living in London during her father's years living in exile there, which led to an opportunity to join Chelsea's youth setup as a goalkeeper. He added that although she had the chance to continue in football, her parents encouraged her to prioritise her education, which means she ultimately did not play for Chelsea's youth setup.

It is well-known of course, that all major football clubs in England have extensive player development programmes that are identical for boys and girls, and Zaima may have done trials for any age group, after which the club may have offered her to stay on, or invited her into the player development programme. This would not be extraordinary.

Aminul, a former national team goalkeeper, said he learned about Zaima's goalkeeping background directly from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

Explaining the context, Aminul said he spoke with Zaima during a visit to Mirpur to watch a cricket match. During their conversation, she mentioned she had been a goalkeeper at school, similar to him. He noted that she played football at school level and her height made her well suited to the position.