| Rupna Chakma | |
| Fullname: | Rupna Chakma |
| Birth Date: | 2 January 2004 |
| Birth Place: | Naniarchar, Rangamati, Chittagong Division, Bangladesh |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Currentclub: | Bashundhara Kings Women |
| Clubnumber: | 1 |
| Years1: | 2020– |
| Clubs1: | Bashundhara Kings |
| Caps1: | 25 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Nationalteam1: | Bangladesh U17 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2018–2020 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalteam2: | Bangladesh U19 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2018–2022 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 19 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalteam3: | Bangladesh |
| Nationalyears3: | 2019– |
| Nationalcaps3: | 22 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 4 December 2023 |
Rupna Chakma (ccp| ; bn|রুপনা চাকমা) is a Bangladeshi football player who plays for the Bangladesh women's national football team and Bashundhara Kings Women.[1] [2] She was part of the Bangladesh team that won the 2022 and 2024 SAFF Women's Championship and was named "The best goalkeeper" in both of those tournament.[3] [4]
Chakma played in the under-16 team in 2019.[5]
Rupana was born in the village of Bhuiyodam, located in the Ghilachari hills of Naniarchar Upazila, Rangamati, Bangladesh. Her father, Gatha Moni Chakma, passed away before her birth. Her mother, Kalosona Chakma, raised Rupana and her three siblings, earning a livelihood as a day laborer in agricultural fields.[6]
Rupana’s schoolteacher, Virsen Chakma, recognized her enthusiasm for football and encouraged her to engage in training. There were initial concerns about the societal perceptions of girls participating in sports. Rupana's skills were showcased during a local upazila-level tournament.
She subsequently enrolled at Ghagra Primary School, where she trained as a goalkeeper under the guidance of coach Shanti Moni Chakma. In 2014, she took part in the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib National Gold Cup Football Tournament, where she was honored with the Best Goalkeeper award.
In 2020, Rupana joined Bashundhara Kings, competing at the national league level.
Bashundhara Kings
Bangladesh
Individual
In 2018, she joined the Under-19 Women’s Team and helped Bangladesh win the 2021 SAFF Championship by defeating India in the final.[7]
In the 2022 SAFF Women’s Football Tournament, Rupana performed excellently as the goalkeeper, not conceding any goals in the group matches. During the final against Nepal, her critical saves helped Bangladesh win 3-1, and the team became SAFF champions.[8]
Rupana’s achievements brought attention to her family’s struggles. After 2022 SAFF Women’s Football Tournament, the Deputy Commissioner of Rangamati visited Rupana’s home and provided financial support.[9] Media coverage of her story caught the attention of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who ordered that a new house be built for Rupana’s family.[10]