Sports Desk:

Kazi Md Salahuddin, the most powerful man in the football arena of Bangladesh, said in an interview with a national English newspaper on 23 July that he planned to contest for presidency for a fifth consecutive term in the upcoming Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) election, scheduled to be held on 26 October.

The interview was taken in the days of the internet blackout countrywide, famously known as Digital Crackdown, amid a student-led movement against Sheikh Hasina-led authoritarian government. Now it is known that the movement later turned into a mass uprising and ended Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year regime.

After the fall of Sheikh Hasina, Awami League’s ministers, members of parliaments (MPs), leaders, activists and supporters hid themselves to escape public outrage; even many sports personalities, including athletes, organizers, officials, members, directors of different federations and sponsors remained traceless till this date as they were actively involved with Awami League.

BFF president Salahuddin and most of the other members of the BFF executive committee (EC) and its sub-committees, who are directly and indirectly connected and involved with Awami League and its associated bodies, were untraceable.

The 70-year-old BFF chief, who has been close to Sheikh Hasina as he was a friend of Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the younger brother of Sheikh Hasina, started to communicate with some media after a few days and confirmed that he would not change his decision of taking part in the next election.

In the meantime, another influential personality in the football arena and a member of parliament from Khulna Awami League for two terms – senior vice-president Abdus Salam Murshedy stepped down from all posts within the federation on 8 August.

Murshedy stepped down two days after a local football fan base named ‘Bangladeshi Football Ultras’ launched a campaign demanding the resignation of Salahuddin, Murshedy and executive member Mahfuza Akter Kiron.

The fan group started to protest vigorously against Salahuddin and Kiron and urged the pair to follow Murshedy’s footsteps and exit from the federation, but Salahuddin adamantly challenged by saying to oust him through election instead of resigning. There was no statement from Kiron.

Two former national football stars Sheikh Mohammad Aslam and Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu, who are currently also the football organizers, believed that Kazi Salahuddin’s destructive decision to take part in the upcoming BFF poll would be the final nail in the coffin of the dying Bangladesh football.

“We can’t stop him from taking part in the election, it is his personal decision. If he feels his expectations are yet to be fulfilled in 16 years, then I don’t think he can make it the next time. But I feel if he comes here, he will take the football into the dust. He should come out of this destructive decision,” said Aslam to media on Thursday.

“Football was once the most popular sport in our country, it is still close to our hearts, but he (Salahuddin) destroyed it in the past 15/16 years. This can’t be accepted. I would like to draw the attention of the Sports Advisor and the football fraternity and tell them that they should be more aware of these. This place needs to be made beautiful and pollution-free,” he added.

“He (Salahuddin) has failed to run the football, so he should not come to the election. If he does it again and wins the election, he will certainly take the football to the downfall and finish it forever. I wish for his good sense. Murshedy had understood and left the football with dignity. Now it is his turn. He should leave football right at this moment,” said Chunnu.

Salahuddin knows very well that the government can’t oust him from the presidency. Either he will resign and change his decision to take part in the upcoming election or he loses to any worthy sports organizer in the election.

If the government takes any step against him, FIFA will ban Bangladesh on the international stage as the governing body of football doesn’t like any visible interference or influence of the local government on its member association.

“Our one-point demand is for Salahuddin’s exile from football. We will continue our protest against him and his collaborators who have been exploiting our football for the last 15/16 years. We can’t take any legal steps against Salahuddin and Co. due to the FIFA Constitution. If we do that, FIFA will ban our country and we don’t want it,” said Bangladeshi Football Ultras general secretary Mehedi Hasan Ovi.

“He is adamant and wants to take part in the election, we can’t stop him effectively. But we can demand a fair election. We know if we build up a fairground for the upcoming election, Salahuddin will lose to any worthy and dedicated football organizer. We have to stop vote manipulation and we will put pressure on the councillors to elect the right person,” he added.

When asked how they will stop vote manipulation, he replied, “We are going to write BFFs process of giving councilorship. Salahuddin gives his selected men the councillorship. The process is questionable, we want to know how he gives the councillorship. We will also put pressure on DFAs (District Football Associations). All of the DFA committees are politically biased and corrupt. We will put pressure on them and will bring only the dedicated football organizers. We will also sit with the Sports Advisor as soon as possible. ”