East Pakistan Gymkhana FC

EP Gymkhana FC
Full nameEast Pakistan Gymkhana Football Club
Founded1948
Dissolved1958
(Football section dissolved)

East Pakistan Gymkhana Football Club (Bengali: পূর্ব পাকিস্তান জিমখানা ফুটবল ক্লাব), also referred as EP Gymkhana, was an association football club based in Dhaka, Bangladesh (previously East Pakistan). The club most notably won the Dhaka First Division League in 1949.[1] The football team was part of the larger multi-sports East Pakistan Gymkhana Club (later Bangladesh Gymkhana Club), which included a cricket team[2] that operated even after the Independence of Bangladesh.

History

East Pakistan Gymkhana was founded after the partition of India, with former Kolkata Mohammedan footballers Habibullah Bahar Chowdhury and Rashid Ahmed serving as its president and general secretary, respectively. It was one of the few Dhaka-based clubs to own its own practice ground, located in the Paltan area of Dhaka, on the later constructed Baitul Mukarram Mosque.[3][4] In 1948, the club won the inaugural Second Division Football League held in Dhaka after partition.[5]

K.Majlish
I.A. Asad (c)
Fateh Jongo
Monsur
M.Rashidullah
S.Samad
A.Khaleque
A.R.Dhonu
Wahed
Selim
Gymkhana's starting line-up against Mahuttuli Club which they won 2–0 to secure the 1951 First Division League title on 30 July.[6]

In 1949, the club played their inaugural First Division Football League match against reigning champions, Victoria SC on 25 May, and lost 0–8.[7] Nevertheless, the Gymkhana team captained by Ikramul Amin Asad lost only one more game the entire season, and clinched the league title on 30 July, following a 2–0 victory against Mahuttuli Club.[6] The club's attacker Wahed scored both goals in the game. On 2 August, Gymkhana ended the season with a 1–0 victory against New East Bengal Club, with their striker, Aminur Rahman Dhonu scoring the lone goal.[8] They finished with 26 points from 16 league games, recording 12 victories, 2 draws, and 2 defeats, and became the first all-Muslim club to win the First Division title.[9] Notably, the Gymkhana team mainly consisted of Dhaka University students.[5]

Notable players from the team during its title winning season include Alauddin Khan, Illias Uddin Ahmed, Mohamed Rashidullah, Kodrot Ullah, Amanullah, Khan Majlish, Fazlur Rahman Arzu, Abdul Khaleque, and Shokhi Samad.[10][11][12] In 1950, the club finished runners-up in the First Division, behind Dhaka Wanderers Club. In 1951, the team was trained by former Kolkata Mohammedan center-forward, Hafiz Rashid.[13] In 1954, the club finished bottom of the league with nine points from 24 games, however, were spared from relegation after the East Pakistan Sports Federation (EPSF) opted not to enforce relegation for the second consecutive season.[14] Eventually, in 1957, the team was relegated from the First Division and soon discontinued its football operations.

Honours

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bangladesh - List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  2. ^ "Gymkhana beat Azad Boys by 4 wickets". The Pakistan Observer. 2 January 1967. p. 6. Archived from the original on 20 December 2025. Retrieved 14 December 2025 – via gpa.eastview.com.
  3. ^ Kamruzzaman, Mohamed (16 January 2021). "জিমখানা ক্লাবের লিগ চ্যাম্পিয়ন হবার অত্যাশ্চর্য কাহিনী" [The amazing story of Gymkhana Club becoming league champions]. Krirajagat. p. 58.
  4. ^ Alam, Dhrubo (16 July 2018). "Kick, Score, Scream! The History of Football in Dhaka". Ice Today. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Veteran Calling". The Pakistan Obserbver. 1 August 1969. p. 10. Archived from the original on 14 December 2025. Retrieved 14 December 2025 – via gpa.eastview.com.
  6. ^ a b "ইস্ট পাকিস্তান জিমখানা দলের লীগ চ্যাম্পিয়নশিপ লাভ" [East Pakistan Gymkhana team wins league championship] (in Bengali). The Azad. 31 July 1949. p. 6.
  7. ^ "প্রথম দিনের খেলা লিগ চ্যাম্পিয়ন ভিক্টোরিয়া দলের সাফল্য" [First day's play saw success for league champion Victoria team] (in Bengali). The Azad. 26 May 1949. p. 6.
  8. ^ "জিমখানা দলের জয়লাভ" [Gymkhana team wins] (in Bengali). The Azad. 3 August 1949. p. 6.
  9. ^ "প্রথম বিভাগ লীগের ফাইনাল তালিকা" [First Division League Final List] (in Bengali). The Azad. 6 August 1949. p. 6.
  10. ^ "Veteran Calling". The Pakistan Observer. 3 July 1969. p. 10. Archived from the original on 20 December 2025. Retrieved 14 December 2025 – via gpa.eastview.com.
  11. ^ "চলে গেলেন বাংলাদেশ ফুটবলের কিংবদন্তি আরজু" [Bangladesh football legend Arzu passes away]. m.u71news.com (in Bengali). 22 March 2016. Archived from the original on 19 December 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  12. ^ Dulal, Mahmud (2014). পাকিস্তান জাতীয় দল বাঙালি খেলোয়াড় (transl. Bengali players in the Pakistan national team) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. pp. 58–59.
  13. ^ "Famous footballer becomes trainer". The Civil and Military Gazette. 28 May 1951. p. 6. Retrieved 7 December 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ "FOOTBALL LEAGUE". The Pakistan Observer. 15 November 1954. p. 6.
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