The Appellate Division on Monday refused to stay a High Court’s order that prohibited eight footballers from playing at any other club except Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, however, asked Bangladesh Football Federation and
Sheikh Jamal Club to take initiative to disposeof the High Court rule it had issued on the same matter.
On March 28, the High Court issued the rule asking BFF to explain in four weeks why its failure to take action for not returning the footballers to Sheikh Jamal Club on January 19 after the end of Bangabandhu Gold Cup would not be declared illegal.
The court had passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Sheikh Jamal Club challenging the legality of not returning its players despite repeated requests to the BFF.
The Appellate Division passed the order after hearing a petition filed by BFF seeking stay only on the High Court’s order that asked BFF to ensure that the eight footballers would not play for any other club except the club.
Later, BFF professional football league committee chairman Abdus Salam Murshedy told reporters that before the start of the Independence Cup, the respective participating clubs have agreed to take part in the tournament without those eight players, so all clubs and players have to wait until the High Court disposed of the writ petition.
However, Sheikh Jamal president Manzur Kader at a briefing at the Bangabandhu National Stadium urged the BFF to send back their eight players in line with the Supreme Court order.
He also urged those eight players to come back their ‘home’ and play for Sheikh Jamal.
The eight footballers are — Mamunul Islam, Nasir Chowdhury, Sohel Rana, Raihan Hasan, Yeamin Ahmed Chowdhury Munna of Chittagong Abahani, goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel of Dhaka Abahani, and Alamgir Kabir Rana and Jamal Bhuiyan of Sheikh Russell KC.
They joined their respective clubs from Jamal during the just concluded players’ transfer window.
Jamal argued that the eight players took advance money from them to play for the side in the ongoing season but later opted for other clubs.
Fate of those eight players still hangs in balance as BFF said they will wait until the disposal of the writ before making a decision in this regard.
-With New Age input
