Monaem Khan Raju

Monaem Khan Raju
Personal information
Full name Monaem Khan Raju
Date of birth (1990-07-07) 7 July 1990
Place of birth Kishoreganj, Bangladesh
Height 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)[1]
Position Defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2010 Feni SC ? (?)
2010–2011 Sheikh Russel KC ? (?)
2011–2012 Feni SC ? (?)
2012–2015 Sheikh Jamal DC ? (?)
2016–2018 Sheikh Russel KC 14 (1)
2018–2021 Chittagong Abahani 46 (0)
2021–2024 Bangladesh Police 50 (0)
2024–2025 Brothers Union 2 (0)
2025– Dhaka Rangers 0 (0)
International career
2011–2016 Bangladesh 23 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Bangladesh
South Asian Games
2010 Bangladesh
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21 February 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 2 June 2016

Monaem Khan Raju (Bengali: মোনায়েম খান রাজু; born 7 July 1990) is a Bangladeshi footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Bangladesh Championship League club Dhaka Rangers FC.

He represented the Bangladesh national football team between 2011 and 2016.[2]

Club career

In 2010, after his debut season with Feni SC, Raju was included in the 39-man preliminary squad for the 2010 South Asian Games by coach Zoran Đorđević. However, he did not make the final 23-man squad.[3]

On 29 May 2011, Raju scored a brace for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in a 2–0 victory over Arambagh KS. However, the season ended up being a disappointment for the club as they failed to retain the league title, finishing in seventh place.[4]

On 24 May 2019, while playing for Chittagong Abahani Limited, Raju and four other local footballers were accused of match-fixing.[5]

International career

On 29 August 2013, Raju was added to the 2013 SAFF Championship squad by coach Lodewijk de Kruif, after captain Mamunul Islam and star midfielder Sohel Rana were deemed not fit enough. However, Raju's inclusion was not accepted by the South Asian Football Federation, due to him not being a member of the previously announced 30-man preliminary squad.[6] Bangladesh Football Federation's decision of including Raju after the original squad already announced, was later heavily criticised by local media, after Bangladesh finished bottom of their group during the tournament.[7]

On 15 January 2016, Raju was named the "Man of the Match" during Bangladesh's encounter with Nepal at the 2016 Bangabandhu Cup. However, after a goalless draw Raju expressed his disappointment during the post-match interview by stating, "This is the first time I have become the best player in an international match. A victory would have been a big achievement. But that didn't happen."[8]

Career statistics

International

As of 2 June 2016.[9]
Bangladesh national team
Year Apps Goals
2011 6 0
2014 2 0
2015 11 0
2016 4 0
total 23 0

References

  1. ^ "Monaem Khan Raju - Player Profile - Football". Eurosport. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Monaem Khan Raju". fbref.com. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Zoran picks 39". The Daily Star. 11 January 2010. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Raju brace sinks Arambagh". The Daily Star. 29 May 2012. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Football's 'dirty politics' dragged on". New Age. 24 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  6. ^ বাংলাদেশ দল থেকে রাজু বাদ. bdnews24 (in Bengali). 29 August 2013. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Mamunul's race against time". The Daily Star. 30 August 2013. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  8. ^ ম্যাচ সেরা হয়েও হতাশ রাজু. bdnews24 (in Bengali). 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Monaem Khan Raju Stats, Info and Next Game". FootballCritic. Retrieved 19 May 2024.