Md Anwar Ullah, Dhaka: Bangladesh Football Federation elections euphoria evaporates as the head of the opponent withdraws from the race whereas football organisers, enthusiasts and federation insiders burst into joy when the election commission declared the schedule of polls slated to be held on October 3.
A group of organizers, who started their movements demanding BFF polls more than a year before the four year-term of the incumbent committee expires, became dispirited when opposition heavyweight —Chattogram-based merchant Tarafdar Mohammed Ruhul Amin — mysteriously withdrew from the polls race.
It is the first time in the history of the Bangladesh football that the hype with the election to the BFF went too high before a year and it was too early when a group of organizers began the propaganda against the sitting committee to convince the councilors to declare the poll schedule.
However, the tenure of the incumbent committee ended on April 30, 2020 and the election was constitutionally supposed to take place on April 20; but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the schedule was postponed.
The election field became hot when the committee declared Tarafdar Ruhul Amin as the president candidate from their group but after few days Tarafdar himself announced that he will not be their candidate to contest against the sitting president Kazi Mohammed Salahuddin. The publicity campaigns were kicked off by both sides, particularly those who had been continuing election campaign for more than one year.
The protesters (anti-Salahuddin group) have sprung into organizing meetings very often to woo the voters. But all of a sudden Tarafdar did a quick about-turn, withdrawing himself from the poll race against Salahuddin through a press conference at the earlier’s Dhaka office.
The news of Tarafdar’s opt-out came like a bolt from the blue for his supporters but they have some solace when Tarafdar told that though he withdrew his contention due to personal reason but he would be involved in the electioneering.
But Tarafdar, chairman of the Saif Sporting Club and the chairman of the Chittagong Abahani Limited, recently gave another statement that he would have no any involvement with the BFF election. This news once again disheartened his ardent followers but their enthusiasm didn’t exhaust fully and they continued their activism to throw challenge to Kazi Salahuddin.
Existing committee president Salahuddin, when talking to the Independent about the current situation on Saturday said, it’s yet to certain whether anybody will contest against me after the withdrawal of Tarafdar Ruhul Amin, the close contender.
“You don’t know whether there will no opponents will come. It is too early, there may be submission of nomination at the last moment.”
“Actually I never like to talk on thoughts, I will talk to you after the date of submission the nomination papers expires,” Salahuddin said.
When Tarafdar Ruhul Amin asked about the reason of his pronouncement of unwillingness to be the president candidate against Salahuddin, said, “I want to concentrate more on my business, in fact right now, it’s very much important to me.”
“I will not involve any of the football activities but Chittagong Abahani is my main team, I also have a close touch with Saif Sporting Club and I will have every relation with these teams.
“It’s is not the right time for me to participate in the election, maybe in future but now the first priority is my business, this is the reason I decided not to take part in any activities in the BFF election,” Tarafdar said.