Football
East Bengal: Bashundhara Group close to investing in Red and Golds
Bangladeshi conglomerate Bashundhara Group is in talks with Kolkata giants East Bengal Club for probable investment.
Indian Super League side East Bengal club felicitated Bangladeshi business tycoon Sayem Sobhan Anvir on the club lawn on Thursday. Bangladeshi conglomerate Bashundhara group managing director Mr. Sobhan Anvir along with other key officials took a visit to the East Bengal tent this week.
Thereafter speculations have built up over the possibility of the arrival of a new investor at the Red and Gold tent. The Bridge Football can exclusively confirm that Bangladeshi giants Bashundhara Group have initiated talks with East Bengal to invest for the upcoming footballing season.
Sources close to the development confirm that the Bashundhara has shown interest to invest in Indian sports and is currently exploring options. Bashundhara is the sponsor of three major Bangladeshi footballing sides including Bashundhara Kings. And they now look to expand their presence in the neighboring state of India.
Thus considering the existing rapport from past East Bengal is the best and the foremost choice they have. Bashundhara being an overseas company needs to go through the FDI ecosystem in order to invest in India and have initiated the process for the same.
A club source keeping track of the development confirmed Bridge Football that both the parties have initiated initial talks and this visit was the first of many. It is also learned that East Bengal club officials are soon planning to visit Bangladesh to discuss and build on this partnership. The source also said that the club is expected to be in a better position to add clarity to the whole scenario in the upcoming weeks.
After a saga of year-long speculations, East Bengal finally made its way into the Indian Super League in 2020 when the Kolkata giants joined hands with Shree Cements. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was seen to play a pivotal role in making this happen. But thereafter things have been once again very rough for the torchbearers.
The feud between the club and the investor regarding the agreement of terms rose to such an extent that Mamata had to intervene once again at the start of this season to ensure East Bengal's participation in the Indian Super League. Then on nothing has been built on the East Bengal - Shree partnership and it's almost clear that the Indian concrete giants are all set to depart after the end of the 2021-22 season.
Bridge understands that the Red and Golds are already working to ensure proceedings post Shree Cements' departure and are waiting for the season to end to provide further clarity on their next investor.