Munna’s jersey could have fetched more’

While the bat that all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan used in the ICC World Cup was a few days ago auctioned off at an eye-watering Tk 20 lakh as part of the battle against coronavirus pandemic, the jersey of illustrious former footballer Monem Munna failed to draw many takers and was auctioned off at only Tk 3 lakh on Saturday night.

Action 4 Auction, a charitable organisation, had fixed the base price of the number 2 jersey that arguably the country's best ever defender Munna wore while representing Bangladesh and Abahani at Tk 2 lakh, along with former FIFA referee Tayeb Hasan's jersey, but the amount Munna's jersey fetched left many football-lovers in a bit of shock and disbelief.

"I must commend putting up such a memorable jersey for auction for a noble cause at such a tough time, but I believe Munna's jersey has not been evaluated properly because of the downward trend of the country's football," said former national striker Sheikh Mohammad Aslam, who had also been part of the programme of the auction. "I'm really very much disappointed with the amount fetched for Munna's jersey.

"However, it proved that football is not yet dead because the football lovers of the 70s and 80s showed their immense interest by buying jerseys. This jersey could have fetched between Tk 20 lakh and Tk 25 lakh if it was in the football-crazy period in which we played," said Aslam, who played along with Munna for Abahani from 1986 to 1995.

Munna's wife Shurovi Monem was however happy with the amount the two jerseys fetched during the auction, the purpose of which was to help the needy people from the proceeds, although she would never have allowed her husband's jerseys to be auctioned in usual circumstances.

"I'm happy with the amount raised through the two jerseys because people spent money to buy it at a time when economic conditions are not good. I didn't expect more or less than this amount because I desired a respectable price for jerseys that would keep Munna's respect intact," Shurovi told The Daily Star.

"I know the price of this jersey would have been different in normal times but the big thing to me is that a lot of people called me to express their interest, but they didn't have the ability. That meant Munna's popularity has not decreased after his death," said Shurovi. "I would not put it on auction in usual times but I came forward because of the humanitarian cause; I am happy that I can now help some people who are suffering due to the coronavirus outbreak."

HSBC CEO Mahbub Ur Rahman bought another jersey of Munna outside the auction for Tk 2.1 lakh as the Abahani fan had a short but vivid memory of Munna. He said that he would preserve Munna's jersey with honour and love.

After buying Tayeb's jersey at Tk 5.55 lakh, Satkhaira Chamber of Commerce president Nasim Faruk Khan said, "My effort is not only involved with jersey. This effort will also help the affected people of Satkhira, so I bought it to honour Tayeb bhai, who brought a lot of laurels for Satkhira."