The much-awaited domestic football season will get underway today with the Independence Cup. The tournament was supposed to begin on March 31 but the Bangladesh Football Federation had to defer it for two days due to a court ruling over eight footballers. The High Court on March 28 asked the BFF not to allow eight players in any club other than Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.The BFF lodged an appeal to the court of chamber judge against the decision but the matter was referred to the full bench of the Supreme Court for a hearing.
As the chamber just did not stay the High Court order, the eight players now can only play for Sheikh Jamal, who nevertheless did not make the entry for the tournament.
Sheikh Jamal president Manzur Kader requested the BFF to give them an opportunity to participate in the tournament.
‘We are ready to participate in all the tournaments including the Independence Cup,’ Kader told reporters on Thursday.
‘But we don’t know what the intention of BFF is. We requested them [BFF] to return our eight players by following the order of High Court.’
The BFF said it can allow the Danmondi-based outfit in the Independence Cup only if they agree to play without any pre-condition.
‘We are here to run football and we always invite more clubs to play football,’ said BFF’s senior vice-president Abdus Salam Murshedy.
‘If they [Sheikh Jamal] want to play we will always take it positively but they will have to take part without giving any conditions.
‘If they give any conditions before participating in the tournament, it will be difficult for us to include them.’
In the opening match of the tournament, Team BJMC will take on Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society at the Bangabandhu National Stadium while Brothers Union will face Uttar Baridhara in the second match of the day at the same venue.
-With New Age input
