Ritu Porna Chakma

Ritu Porna Chakma (; Chakma: 𑄢𑄨𑄖𑄪𑄛𑄧𑄢𑄴𑄚 𑄌𑄇𑄴𑄟; born 30 December 2003) is a Bangladeshi professional footballer who plays as a winger or midfielder for the Bangladesh national team and Ayeyawady.

Early life Ritu Porna Chakma was born on 30 December 2003 in Kawkhali, Rangamati. She is of indigenous Chakma community.

She studied at Mogachhari Government Primary School. At school, a teacher named Birsen Chakma introduced her to football. She started playing football in 2012 while attending primary school. In 2013, at the age of 10, she took part in the Bangamata Gold Cup Football tournament, representing her school.

Club career Nasrin In the 2023–24 season, Chakma joined Nasrin in the Bangladesh Women's Football League.

Royal Thimphu College (loan) In 2024, she was loaned to Bhutanese club Royal Thimphu College for the 2024–25 AFC Women's Champions League, scoring once in two preliminary stage appearances against Bam Khatoon. Prior to participating in the tournament, she featured in a league match for the club.

Paro In 2025, she signed with Paro, another Bhutanese club, where she scored four goals in her first two appearances. In the season, she managed to score 13 goals in 8 matches.

Rajshahi Stars On 22 December 2025, she joined Rajshahi Stars for the 2025–26 Bangladesh Women's Football League.

Ayeyawady (loan) In 2026, she signed a 3-month deal with Ayeyawady for the Myanmar Women League. She made her debut for the club in a 4–0 victory against Thitsar Arman. She made her debut in the 2026–27 AFC Women's Champions League against Jurong. After the AWCL campaign ended, her loan spell with Ayeyawady ended, and she returned to her parent club.

International career Chakma made her senior debut for the Bangladesh women's national team in 2019. The following year, she participated in the 2022 SAFF Women's Championship, where Bangladesh secured its first title in the tournament's history, held in Kathmandu. She also played for the Bangladesh U-19 team during this period, including a match where she scored twice against Sri Lanka.

She was part of the squad that won the 2022 and 2024 SAFF Women's Championship.

On 30 October 2024, Chakma scored the winning goal in the final of the SAFF Women's Championship against Nepal and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. On the next month, she received an offer from a European club, North Macedonian club Brera Tiverija.

During the AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifiers, Chakma scored in Bangladesh's 7–0 victory over Bahrain on 29 June 2025. On 2 July 2025, she scored twice in a 2–1 win against Myanmar in Yangon, helping Bangladesh qualify for the AFC Women's Asian Cup for the first time in the nation's history.

Style of play Chakma primarily plays as a left winger, although she is also capable of operating as an attacking midfielder. She is known for her pace, dribbling ability, creativity in the final third, and powerful left-footed shots. She is also capable of delivering inswinging set-pieces and scoring directly from corner kicks, as well as from acute angles.

Peter Butler described her as "one of the best wingers in South Asia" in 2026.

Career statistics Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each goal scored by Chakma.

Awards and honors

On 9 December 2025, Ritu was awarded the Begum Rokeya Padak 2025 in the category of women's awakening (sports).

Honours Bashundhara Kings Bangladesh Women's Football League: 2021–22, 2021–22 Rajshahi Stars Bangladesh Women's Football League: 2025–26 Bangladesh U-20 SAFF Women's Championship: 2021 Bangladesh SAFF Women's Championship: 2022, 2024