The allegations made by Bangladesh women football team against coach Butler

Bangladesh's national women's footballers have accused head coach Peter Butler of mental harassment and abuse, demanding his removal.

They have declared that they will not play under him and have even threatened mass retirement.

On Thursday, 17 players, including captain Sabina Khatun, delivered a written statement to journalists outside the BFF headquarters, outlining a series of allegations that underpin their demand for Butler's resignation.

Their full statement is as follows:

"Dear journalists,

Greetings. We are compelled to stand before you at a critical moment. Through you, the entire nation has come to know how many obstacles we have overcome to win the SAFF Championship for our country twice in a row. You are well aware of the immense effort and struggles we have endured to reach this stage. Last year, in October, in Kathmandu, Nepal, we once again proved that we are the best by winning the SAFF Championship.

During that tournament, tensions between head coach Peter Butler and the players became public. He attempted to undermine the team by making arbitrary selections. His exclusion of senior players in the match against Pakistan was a clear mistake—something everyone saw—because we barely managed to secure a draw in that match. Against India, he was forced to change the lineup under pressure, and with a senior-heavy team, Bangladesh triumphed over India to top the group. This alone proves that we were right.

However, before that match, we knew that our starting lineup was practically a form of rebellion against the coach. If we had failed, we would have been vilified by the federation and the public, and our careers might have ended. Despite knowing the risks, we took the chance for our country. Given our commitment, passion, and love for Bangladesh, we had hoped for support from the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).

That did not happen. Instead, what followed after SAFF was something we were completely unprepared for. The BFF decided to renew the contract of this controversial coach for another two years, completely ignoring the voices of the players.

Many may wonder why we refuse to play under Butler. That is exactly what we are here to explain:

1. Despite the many incidents in Nepal, the coach could have resolved matters there. After winning the SAFF Championship, he could have sat down with us. Instead, he repeatedly ignored us. We were genuinely surprised and waited for him to call a meeting—but he never did. A BFF vice-president later met with him regarding our concerns and warned him about his behaviour. Our question is—why did he need to be warned? Shouldn't a professional coach already know how to conduct himself?

2. This is unprecedented in Bangladesh women's football: in a crucial match, the coach forgot he had five substitutions. In the first SAFF match against Pakistan, when we were trailing 1-0, he decided to bring on Sanjida. But at the time of the substitution, he realised he did not have the substitution papers—because he had already used three and had no more left. This happened in the 95th minute, with Bangladesh still trailing. We still had two available substitutions, but the necessary paperwork was missing. This is both embarrassing and laughable—something completely unacceptable from a coach of his supposed calibre.

3. In that same match, just before Krishna was to be subbed in, an assistant coach asked for her jersey number. A teammate responded, but as Krishna was still putting on her shin guards, the assistant asked again. Another teammate answered, and the head coach, furious, rushed towards Krishna in anger. We do not know of any coach behaving this way over something as trivial as a jersey number.

4. His misconduct was not limited to the pitch; he consistently mistreated us off the field as well. He mocked us, created divisions between senior and junior players, and even commented on our attire. He engaged in body-shaming and made inappropriate remarks about our personal lives. He frequently accused us of disciplinary breaches—an outright lie, as no past coach has ever questioned our discipline. Even assistant coaches are aware of his erratic behaviour, but they remain silent out of fear for their jobs.

5. We formally complained about these issues in a letter to the BFF president on Wednesday. In it, we stated:

   "We are writing to bring a serious issue to your attention. Coach Peter Butler's behaviour has caused severe distress within the team, creating a toxic environment in the camp. This is taking a severe mental toll on the players.

   Over the past six months, we have endured repeated verbal abuse from Butler, instances of mental harassment, and multiple cases of mistreatment. His actions have instilled a sense of fear in the camp, leaving players feeling disrespected and demoralised. Senior players, in particular, have been subjected to continuous discrimination and unjust behaviour. His conduct is not only degrading but is also affecting the team's performance.

   Coaching is not just about tactics and techniques—it also requires fostering an environment of mutual respect, trust, and support. Unfortunately, under Peter Butler's leadership, the players feel isolated and demoralised, leading to a toxic team culture."

6. We do not want any divisions within our team, which is why we do not need a coach who creates them. Butler has used some junior players as pawns to create instability within the squad.

   He has also been spreading falsehoods through the media, claiming that senior players are pressuring juniors not to train under him. We want to make it clear: we have not forced anyone into any decision. Every player in camp is mature enough to judge right from wrong and make their own choices.

Finally, we sincerely hope that the BFF president will take this matter seriously and work towards a swift resolution. Until then, we will not participate in any training camp under Peter Butler.

Since no player's contract with BFF has been renewed since last October, the federation has no legal grounds to take action against us. However, if they choose to stand by Peter Butler, disregarding our concerns, we will be left with no choice but to resign collectively. We will take it as a sign that women's football in this country no longer needs us.

Thank you."