Sports organisers, mostly leaning to the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, launched a new organisation called National Krira Unnayan Parishad at a city hotel on Saturday.
Former Mohammedan Sporting Club president Mosaddek Ali will lead the organisation, which, despite its political identity, promised to work for the development of sports without any political affiliation.
Former footballer and water resources minister Major
(retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, former Dhaka city mayors Sadek Hossain Khoka and Mirza Abbas, former state minister for youth and sports Fazlur Rahman Patal, chief whip of the opposition party Joinal Abedin Farroque and former BCB president Ali Asghar spoke, among others, on the occasion.
Hafiz criticised the current sports administration for politicising sports and indulging in corrupt practice which he said is one of reasons for Bangladesh’s recent sporting debacles.
‘Now we see clubs after the names of individuals, which is a very rare in the world. Year after year we see match-fixing without any punishment,’ said Hafiz, also a former president of the Bangladesh Football Federation.
‘Political figures grabbed sports like a cancer. In our time organisers were looking for players, now players look for organisers, it is very unfortunate.’
Khoka, who was also a state minister for youth and sports, urged to keep sports out of politics.
‘If we really want to develop sports we have to keep it out of politics. I hope Krira Unnayan Parishad will work towards this goal,’ he said.
-With New Age input
