Bangladeshi footballers, much-taunted for recent poor showing at international level, have seen their demand dramatically raised at club football hours after they were eliminated from the Bangabadhu gold Cup on Monday. Officials and supporters of different Bangladesh Premier League Clubs staged an ugly tug of war over the last two days to secure the service of these ordinary players for the forthcoming domestic season.
The drama started on Monday night when a group of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club officials and supporters came to the team hotel and forced 11 national players to leave the hotel to join their club.
But they failed to convince the players, who mainly played for the club in the previous season and the Bangladesh team management was obliged to take the help of law enforcers to bring the situation under control.
On Tuesday morning, BFF brought the national players to its office under police protection and announced them as free agent after national team committee chairman Kazi Nabil Ahmed held a brief meeting with them.
But the players were left stranded at the BFF House for almost two hours as club officials and their supporters gathered there.
Few Sheikh Jamal officials, led by former player Abdul Gaffar, tried to convince their players, including national captain Mamunul Islam, but all of them ignored him.
Mamunul, at one point, was seen begging to the Jamal officials for accepting his apology as he decided to leave the club.
‘I have decided that I will not play for Sheikh Jamal in next season. Please pardon me,’ Mamunul told Jamal officials.
With the help of security personnel, Jamal Bhuiyan, Monaem Khan Raju, Shakhawat Hossain Rony and Alamgir Kabir Rana left the BFF house along with Sheikh Russell Krira Chakra officials.
Abahani defender Nasirul Islam also accompanied them.
Jamal’s Sahidul Alam Sohel and Yeasin Khan, Russell’s Hemanta Vincent Biswas, Topu Barman, Wali Faisal, Mohammedan’s Jewel Rana and BJMC’s Nabib Newaz Ziban left the BFF house with Abahani officials.
Jamal’s Mamunul Islam, Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, Sohel Rana, Rayhan Hassan, and Yeaman Ahmed Munna left the BFF premises with Chittagong Abahani secretary general Shamsul Haq Chowdhury.
Mamunul said they are now free and have every right to take their own decision.
‘We have the right to join any club we want. I have decided to play for Chittagong Abahani and this is my final decision,’ said the national captain.
Chittagong Abahani football committee chairman Tarafder Ruhul Amin said they are going to form a strong team to fulfill their initial goal.
‘I set three different targets when I took charge to the football committee,’ he said. ‘The first one is to form a strong team and we are very close to reach the first target,’ said the official, who blamed all clubs for not producing new players.
‘We all are disappointed with the recent performances of the national team but the clubs also have to take the responsibility for the dismal performances.
‘We didn’t take any step to produce football talent so that we have to rely on the current players.’
Saleh Jamal Selim, director of sports of Sheikh Russell KC, led the group of Russell when they took the players.
Selim said only because of lack of players they have to rely on the current national players.
‘It’s our bad luck that we have to give full attention to these players who displayed awful performance for the national team,’ he said.
‘But we are going to form a champion team so that we have nothing to do except give priority to them and meet their huge demands.’
-With New Age input
