Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu

Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu (; born 1 August 1956) is a Bangladeshi former professional football player and coach. He played for Dhaka Abahani as a left-winger in the First Division from 1975 to 1988, winning the league title a toal of five times. He is the all-time top goalscorer of the Bangladesh national team, with 17 official goals, having represented the country between 1975 and 1985, captaining in 1982. Following retirement in 1988, he served in coaching and administrative roles with both Dhaka Abahani and the Bangladesh Football Federation.

Early life Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu was born on 1 August 1956, in Paikpara suburb, Narayanganj District, East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh). He completed his matriculation at Joy Govinda High School in Narayanganj before gaining admission to Dhaka University. At a young age, Chunnu, received his football training under former East Bengal Railway left-winger Alauddin Khan at the Gymkhana Field (now Alauddin Khan Stadium) in Narayanganj. While he was in eighth grade, his coach, Alauddin Khan converted Chunnu, initially a goalkeeper, into a left-winger.

Club career Early career Chunnu began his football career in the Dhaka First Division Football League with Dilkusha SC in 1973. The following year, he joined Rahmatganj MFS, and with the club he also participated in the Bordoloi Trophy in Guwahati, India. In the same year, Chunnu began representing the Dhaka District football team in the National Football Championship, winning the championship that year. He represented the Combined University football team in the 1975 National Championship and in a tournament held in Kolkata. In 1977 and 1978, he represented the Dhaka District and Bangladesh Railway football teams, respectively. In the following year, Chunnu served as joint captain alongside Shafiul Arefin Tutul, as Abahani finished fourth in the league, which was at the time their lowest finish since foundation.

On 21 September 1982, Chunnu and several Abahani teammates were arrested after crowd violence erupted during a league match against Mohammedan SC. Following a disputed goal, police raided locations across Dhaka, including the national team camp for the 1982 Asian Games, and detained the players. They were brought before a military court and surprisingly accused of plotting to overthrow the new military ruler, Lt. General Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Chunnu and Kazi Salahuddin received one-month prison sentences and were to be transferred to Jessore by night train, but public crowds at Kamalapur station blocked their departure, prompting the imposition of Section 144. The players were eventually sent to prisons outside Dhaka and released after 17 days amid widespread criticism.

On 30 October 1983, Chunnu scored in a memorable 2–2 draw against Mohammedan in the first-leg match of the 1983 First Division League, the point was eventually vital for Abahani, who went on to win the league title by overtaking their rivals. In the 1985–86 Asian Club Championship Central Asia Zone, Chunnu scored in a 3–0 victory against Pakistani club, PIA FC. Nevertheless, he became an irregular in the starting eleven from that year, as Abahani former teammate and then coach, Kazi Salahuddin, brought in young wingers Fakrul Islam Kamal and Ratnayaka Premalal, and secured their third consecutive league title. He eventually served as joint head coach in the final alongside Algimantas Liubinskas, as Abahani won 1–0. Additionally, Chunnu received the Best Footballer Award from the Sports Writers Association in 1980 and the National Sports Council in 1988.

International career Chunnu began his international career with the Bangladesh U20 team in the 1975 AFC Youth Championship held in Kuwait. In the following year, he appeared in the 1976 King's Cup in Thailand.

He made his return in the 1983 Bangladesh President's Gold Cup, and on 4 September 1983, scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 victory over Nepal in a group match, becoming the first Bangladeshi player to achieve the feat. In the same year, he represented Bangladesh in the 1985 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament in Pakistan, scoring against Indonesia in a 1–1 draw and against Pakistan Whites in a 3–0 victory during the group stage. His final international goal came in the semi-finals, where he scored a penalty in a 3–1 victory over Pakistan. In the final held on 4 May 1985, Bangladesh lost to North Korea by 0–1, which ended up being Chunnu's final appearance for his country.

Post-playing career Chunnu guided Dhaka Abahani to the 1988 Federation Cup final as player-cum-coach. In the final, he announced his retirement as a player, and served a joint head coach alongside Algimantas Liubinskas, as Abahani won the tournament. He served as the team manager during Abahani's Sait Nagjee Football Tournament triumph in India in 1989. From 1988-90, he served in numerous positions at the club, including as coach, manager, coordinator, chief coordinator, football editor, and director. In 1996, Chunnu won the National Sports Award. In 2005, he was made the team manager of the Bangladesh national team. He also served as the joint secretary of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and the deputy secretary general of the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA). It was under his supervision that the first-ever Dhaka Metropolis School tournament was held in 2003. He was also the football committee chairman of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.

He was a critique of Kazi Salahuddin's tenure as BFF president from 2008 to 2024, despite having backed Salahuddin's initial election.

Career statistics International Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first. +List of international goals scored by Ashrafuddin Ahmed ChunnuNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1. 5 March 1979 Dhaka Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1–1 3–2 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualification2. 10 September 1979 Seoul Stadium, Seoul, South Korea 1–3 1–4 1979 President's Cup3. 14 September 1979 Cheongju Stadium, Cheongju, South Korea 2–1 3–1 1979 President's Cup4. 16 September 1980 Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait 2–3 2–3 1980 AFC Asian Cup5. 19 February 1982 National Stadium, Karachi Pakistan 1–3 1–3 1982 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament6. 4 September 1983 Dhaka Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2–0 4–2 1983 President's Gold Cup7. 3–08. 4–09. 18 September 1984 Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal 2–0 2–0 1984 South Asian Games10. 19 September 1984 Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal 1–0 5–01984 South Asian Games11. 4–012. 23 September 1984 Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal 1–1 2–41984 South Asian Games13. 2–414. 30 March 1985 Dhaka Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1–1 1–2 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification15. 2 April 1985 Dhaka Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2–1 2–1 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification16. 28 April 1985 Qayyum Stadium, Peshawar, Pakistan 1–0 1–1 1985 Quaid-E-Azam International Tournament17. 2 May 1985 Qayyum Stadium, Peshawar, Pakistan 3–1 3–1 1985 Quaid-E-Azam International Tournament

Honours Player Dhaka Abahani Dhaka First Division League: 1977, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985 Federation Cup: 1982, 1985, 1986, 1988 Liberation Cup: 1977

Manager Dhaka Abahani Federation Cup: 1988

Individual 1980 − Sports Writers Association's Best Footballer Award. 1988 − National Sports Council Best Footballer Award. 1996 − National Sports Award.