Mohammedan Sporting Club have announced their most ambitious transfer window in years, signing nine players from reigning champions Bashundhara Kings and submitting their squad list to the Bangladesh Football Federation in a horse-drawn carriage parade through Motijheel on 13 August.

Five flower-decorated carriages, marching bands, fireworks and hundreds of supporters in black-and-white jerseys accompanied the players from the club premises to the BFF building, reviving a transfer tradition that had largely disappeared from domestic football in recent years.

Former stars including Pratap Shankar Hazra, Golam Sarwar Tipu, Kanan, Sabbir, Josie and Bablus attended the ceremony, adding to the sense of occasion.

The headline arrival was goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico, who ended an eight-year association with Bashundhara Kings to join Mohammedan on the final day of the window. Zico won six league titles during his time at Kings and has long been considered one of the country's top stoppers.

He said he had wanted to play for Mohammedan since his Under-19 days but his contract had always stood in the way. "I was supposed to play for Mohammedan much earlier, when I played Under-19 football. Because I was at Bashundhara, it did not happen then. I had been speaking with Babu Bhai from the beginning, although I could not join initially," Zico said.

“If everyone in the team can stay united, build good bonding and play with a champion mentality, it is possible to make Mohammedan win the treble."

With Zico and Sujan Hossain both in the squad, Mohammedan now have two national-team goalkeepers competing for the starting berth. Asked about the rivalry, Zico was welcoming. "Healthy competition is positive for the team. Whoever performs best in training will get the chance to play in the starting eleven," he said.

Alongside Zico, Mohammedan brought in defenders Saad Uddin, Rimon Hossain and Tony Agabazi, midfielders Sohel Rana, Mujibur Rahman Jony and Shahriar Iman, and forwards Faisal Ahmed Fahim and Emmanuel Sunday, all from Kings.

Malian striker Sulemane Diabate, who captained Mohammedan to the league title before spending last season at Abahani, has also returned to his former club.

The club finished fifth last season after a difficult campaign that saw coach Alfaz Ahmed dismissed midway through. Their ambitions this time are considerably higher, with officials publicly targeting a domestic treble.

The confidence draws partly from Mohammedan's cricket team, which won the championship after a 17-year wait earlier this year. Cricket committee chairman Masuduzzaman captured the mood at the event. "We have become cricket champions. Now we want this year to belong to football too," he said.

Football committee chairman Mostafa Kamal, who played a central financial role in assembling the squad, added: "Mohammedan are a traditional club and always play to become champions. We have tried to build a good team this time, and we hope the footballers will give their best on the field."

Club president Barkatullah Bulu paid tribute to Kamal's contribution. "The committee chairman played the biggest role in building the football team. Without his financial support, it would have been difficult to assemble such a high-quality squad," he said.

Bulu also outlined the club's longer-term vision. Mohammedan have plans to develop a sports complex on 75 bighas of club-owned land in Savar to reduce dependence on individual donations.

The president also confirmed the club would write to the BFF and the sports ministry requesting that Dhaka Stadium be reopened for football. "If Mohammedan play there, many supporters will come, and it will be good for football," he said.

Director-in-charge Lokman Hossain Bhuiya explained the thinking behind the parade. "We are moving forward with new enthusiasm. That is why we have organised the transfer event with former players and officials," he said.

The club has not yet confirmed a head coach for the new season, though officials stated that a foreign appointment from either Denmark or Uzbekistan is expected to be finalised within days. Mohammedan also intend to relocate their home matches from Comilla back to Dhaka, pending federation approval.

Meanwhile, Bashundhara Kings and Abahani Limited are both dealing with FIFA sanctions that have complicated their transfer activity, with the BFF extending the registration deadline for a third time to 19 August to allow those clubs to complete their squad submissions.