Two others banned for six months
The Bangladesh Football Federation on Wednesday suspended national captain Mamunul Islam and winger Zahid Hossain from the national side for a year for breaching the code of conduct.
The BFF’s national team committee also imposed a six-month ban on defender Yeasin Khan and midfielder Sohel Rana. The committee also decided to give warnings to three other players — goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel, and defenders Yeamin Ahmed Chowdhury Munna and Atiqur Rahman Meshu.
The three given warning could play for the national side if the coach allowed them to do so.
All four players, who faced suspension or ban, will be allowed to play domestic football for their respective clubs. But they will not be able to appeal against the penalty.
The decisions were made at a meeting of the national team committee, which continued for three hours, at the BFF House on Wednesday.
The federation’s vice-president Kazi Nabil Ahmed announced the decisions to the media on Wednesday, saying that decisions came into force with an immediate effect.
The federation on February 23 decided to exclude the seven players from the preliminary squad for the World Cup qualifying match against Jordan after allegations had come up that they drank and smoked during the SAFF Suzuki Cup and Bangabandhu Gold Cup.
The federation said that Mamunul and Zahid had the maximum punishment of a year’s suspension as the charges against them were serious.
‘Mamunul lied to the sub-committee. It was a major offence,’ Nabil told reporters after the meeting.
Mamunul told the committee that Zahid had not been with him during the incident, ‘but Zahid said that he had been in Mamunul’s room during that time,’ Nabil said.
Nabil said that Yeasin Khan and Sohel Rana were also found guilty in a detailed investigation by the facts-finding committee and the sub-committee.
‘We decided to suspend Yeasin and Sohel for six months for breaching the code of conducts,’ said Nabil.
‘We will warn goalkeeper Sohel, and defenders Yeamin Munna and Meshu asking them to behave professionally in the future.’
‘We don’t want a comfortable present. We want a better future,’ Nabil said. ‘We didn’t think about a match or two.’
‘We expect professional behaviour, commitment and discipline from the players.
‘Without discipline, we cannot get the best performance from the players even if we produce hundreds of quality players.’
Nabil added that the sub-committee that the federation’s vice-president Badol Roy led also made some recommendations about team management. The recommendations will be discussed at meetings in the future.
Mamunul, however, expressed his dissatisfaction about the decision. ‘The BFF did injustice to me,’ he said.
‘I have never breached discipline in my career. The facts-finding committee, as far as I know, found no disciplinary issues against me.’
Mamunul brushed aside the allegation of trying to save Zahid that night when the latter was caught drunk.
‘Zahid was not in my room in the beginning. He came to my room when the team leader [Azmal Ahmed Tapan] was searching for him. I asked him to leave my room but he didn’t. It’s not my fault.’
-With New Age input
