The Bangladesh Football Federation on Monday received a much-needed financial boost when it was promised Tk 20 crore by the Association of Bankers of Bangladesh and the finance ministry. BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag told reporters that the Bankers Association will provide Tk 18 crore and the finance ministry will provide Tk two crore as part of a promise made by finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith.
Of the money that the Bankers Association has promised Tk 14 crore will come from private banks and Tk 4 crore from the state owned commercial banks, he said.
The Association on Monday handed over a cheque of Tk two crore to BFF president Kazi Salahuddin.
The promise came following a relentless effort of BFF who convinced Muhith that a large amount of money is needed if Bangladesh are to pursue its footballing ambitions.
It placed a budget of Tk 39 crore last year to the finance ministry for one-year expenditure and revised it to Tk 30.6 crore later.
The BFF needed the money to pay the foreign coaches, meet the expenses of national team, the football academy, the women football and domestic tournaments.
Apart from some international grants, it does not have any fixed source of incomes.
Following the BFF’s effort, Muhith virtually convinced the Bankers Association to come forward to help the country’s football.
‘It has been possible because of honorable prime minister Sheikh Hasina and finance minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhith,’ Shohag said.
‘They will provide it phase by phase in one year,’ said Shohag, adding that they will take the further decision to continue it after seeing the output in the first year.
-With New Age input
