FIFA president Gianni Infantino may arrive in Bangladesh tomorrow: reports

FIFA president Gianni Infantino may make a brief stop in Bangladesh on Sunday, according to multiple reports, while travelling to Thimphu in Bhutan.

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is preparing for the possibility, although his route has not yet been confirmed.

Bhutan is Infantino’s main destination, but direct flights to Thimphu are limited, so he must change planes somewhere. The options are Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Saidpur Airport in Nilphamari, or an airport in India. The BFF itself is still unsure.

The federation is not taking chances. Its general secretary, Imran Hossain Tushar, visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday afternoon, October 17, hoping to make sure immigration and other airport formalities can be completed quickly if Infantino does land in Bangladesh.

A courtesy meeting is possible. If Infantino waits in the VIP lounge at the Dhaka airport and agrees to receive visitors, BFF president Tabith Awal and the federation’s vice-presidents plan to go there to greet him.

The visit would follow recent contact. About two weeks ago, Awal and executive committee member Imtiaz Hamid Sobuj met Infantino on the sidelines of the FIFA ASEAN Cup in Indonesia, a tournament in which Bangladesh also played.

Infantino has been here before. He visited Dhaka for a brief, one-day trip on October 17, 2019.