Bangladesh looks to build on recent progress with long-term volleyball development plan

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, October 14, 2026.- Bangladesh has enjoyed encouraging progress in international volleyball, with the National Federation (NF) aiming to further the sport’s development.  

The men’s national team won silver at the 2026 Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Men’s Volleyball Championship and is currently ranked 81st in the world. Meanwhile, the women’s team claimed bronze at the 2025 CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship.  

Building on those results was a key focus during a visit by M A Latif Shahrear Zahedee, President of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Bangladesh Volleyball Federation (BVF), to the Volleyball House in Lausanne. 

He met with an FIVB delegation led by President Fabio Azevedo, General Sports Director Steve Tutton and Head of FIVB Empowerment and NF Relations Hitesh Malhotra.  

Discussions focused on a six-year development roadmap for volleyball in Bangladesh. The aim is to strengthen both the men’s and women’s national team programmes and create more sustainable pathways for athletes.  

FIVB support continues to contribute to that progress through the Volleyball Empowerment programme, with USD 139,000 having been invested to date. This has included coaching and volleyball equipment support.  

The meeting also explored opportunities for further technical assistance through Volleyball Empowerment in alignment with the BVF’s development priorities.  

Grassroots development was another important area of discussion.  

The BVF highlighted that volleyball is one of eight priority sports within the country’s education system, which provides a strong platform to introduce more young people to the sport and identify future talent.  

Overall, the discussions reflected a shared focus on building stronger national team pathways, long-term development planning and helping Bangladesh continue to improve on the international stage.