The officials of the Bangladesh Chess Federation are at loggerheads over hosting an international Grand Masters tournament that has not been held in the last three years.
Grand Master Niaz Murshed last organised a GM tournament at his personal initiative in 2010 and a similar initiative was taken by some officials only to receive no support from the federation, it was alleged.
Mushfiqur Rahman Mohan, a member of the federation, alleged that he was trying to organise a tournament since December last year but the federation could not provide him any time slot.
`The federation did not give me any time slot or provide any support,’ Mushfiq told reporters. ‘Maybe they are jealous thinking that if I organise a GM tournament everybody will praise me.’
`The truth is that nobody wants to develop the game and everybody came here to fulfil their own interest,’ said Mohan.
BCF vice-president KM Shafiullah and member Mujibur Rahman claimed to have taken similar initiatives but general secretary Saifullah Tareq insisted nobody gave him any proper plan.
`We have discussed the issue three months ago. On that occasion Mohan Bhai and Mujibur Bhai expressed their wish to host a tournament but since then they remained silent,’ he said.
-With New Age input
