The Bangladesh Football Federation president Kazi Salahuddin on Thursday claimed he will accept any kind of punishment if anyone can prove the allegation of corruption that was brought against him.
Salahuddin spoke at length at a press conference held at the BFF house to clarify his position over certain issues raised by his opponents during their meeting with Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan a day earlier.
A group of former footballers under the banner of ‘Bachao Football’ met Nazmul at his residence ahead of BFF elections, scheduled on April 30. They accused Salahuddin of ‘destroying football’ and sought Nazmul’s help to take the matter to prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
‘A group of people raised complaints against me, saying that I opened a personal bank account to misuse the fund provided by FIFA and AFC,’ Salahuddin said at the lengthy press conference.
‘If anyone can prove that I have transferred the FIFA and AFC donations to my personal account, I am ready to accept any kind of punishment. Even if they give me 10-year jail sentence I will accept.
‘But if they fail to prove it they must apologise publicly.’
Salahuddin said the allegation of corruption against him was unfortunate.
‘I’m a freedom fighter and I received the highest award [Swadhinota Padak] from the country,’ said Salahuddin, one of the finest footballers the country has ever produced.
‘I earn sufficient money from my family business. My daughter is also there who is going to sign a Tk 100 crore business deal tonight.
‘I have no intention to earn money from football because football is my love, it is my life and it is my passion. I am only here to develop the game. I am here only to work and nothing else.
Salahuddin said some of the former footballers like Zakaria Pintoo and Golam Sarwar Tipu are speaking against him because he did not give them any undue advantages.
‘Before the BFF election in 2012, my captain Zakaria Pintoo also had collected the nomination form for the president post. During that time he told me over the phone that his nomination paper has many errors and he wanted to withdraw his nomination paper. He said I’m ready to withdraw if you provide some money which I need for my treatment in Singapore,’ said Salahuddin.
‘I told him—Pintoo Bhai even you do not withdraw the nomination paper I will give you money. He came to me to take the money,’ Salahuddin said, without disclosing the amount.
‘Another day, Pintoo Bhai told me that his younger brother Moyeen—who was also a footballer—will meet me. Moyeen came to me and asked for some financial help for his eye treatment and I provided him money. He came to me several times to take money,’ said Salahuddin.
The BFF president also criticised former national player Golam Sarwar Tipu, accusing him of taking his personal grudge to BFF election.
‘I also have something to say about another older brother Golam Sarwar Tipu. When I took the charge for the first time I appointed him as national team coach. After some days he asked me to raise his salaries and I almost doubled it. But when I saw that he failed to give result I sacked him.
‘Both of them have now taken a position against me.’
Salahuddin presented a summary of how the BFF spends the annual grant of FIFA and AFC.
‘We get $ 2.5 lakh from FIFA and the same amount from AFC annually which is approximately Tk 4 crore.
‘We provide Tk 25 lakh each to every professional clubs and more than Tk 50 lakh to the referees.
‘We have to give Tk 25 to 30 lakh as salaries to our staff every month. If you calculate these amounts, it will cross Tk four crore. All 19 members of the BFF are always busy begging money to run the game yet an alliance said we are corrupt. It is really unacceptable.’
Salahuddin said his election as SAFF president twice is another proof of his clean image.
‘I was elected as South Asian Football Federation twice and I shifted the secretariat here in Dhaka.
‘All the eight member countries keep their faith on me. Apart from me most of the top officials in South Asian region like Gonesh Thapa of Nepal, Moni Lal Farnandez of Sri Lanka were alleged by the FIFA’s ethics committee for corruption.’
Salahuddin slammed Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club president Manzur Kader for his abusive language against him.
Kader, once a close ally of Salahuddi, is currently leading the alliance that opposes his reelection as BFF president.
‘A top official of a club raised his finger towards us saying that we failed to develop the district football. I want to say that he himself took the charge of district football by requesting me.
‘But what is his contribution in the district football? Anyone can win the championship if he has money. But his club [Sheikh Jamal] didn’t register a single new player in the last seven years.
So he has no moral ground to talk over the development of football,’ Salahuddin expressed.
Salahuddin said he will make a new policy to develop the national team if he is reelected as president.
‘This is the last time I am going to participate in the president post and I promise that I will make a new policy to develop the national team which is my first priority,’ said Salahuddin, adding that he will go tough over some issues that left a detrimental effect in country’s football.
‘It’s true that we remained soft over some issues, which some people may have taken as our weakness. But if I get elected again I swear I will not give any concession.’
-With New Age input
