It clearly looks to be the best kept secret as the news was broken to the press after daylong rumour that Helal would soon step down.

In fact, the veteran organiser had tendered his resignation on July 24.

Just after Sultan told reporters about the sensational news, Helal told The Daily Star that he had submitted his resignation letter to the BFF president last month.

"The reason is personal. I don't want to say any more," said Helal, who spent hours with journalists at his office last evening without nodding a single time when he was repeatedly asked about the rumour.

It is expected that Helal, elected in 2003, will serve the BFF till his application is accepted.

Sultan also said that his chief executive has sighted personal reasons behind the decision.

"I have got it and talked with him but he did not say anything beyond personal reasons," informed Sultan.

The BFF boss had a sitting with the federation members available in the capital yesterday and called an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss the issue.

"Whether Helal's resignation is accepted or not would be decided in our executive committee meeting on Wednesday," added Sultan.

It was the second incident of a chief executive of a sport federation resigning after Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) general secretary Mahbubul Anam's resignation last month. However, it was followed by en masse resignation of the BCB members.

It had been reported earlier that the BFF president, a former MP of the BNP-led government, himself was ready to step down.

Responding to Sports Adviser Tapan Chowdhury's repeated call to the unsuccessful federation officials to quit willingly, Sultan in July wrote a letter to the National Sports Council giving a formula to hold a free and fair election at the football governing body of the country within a short time under the FIFA guidelines.

Sultan, who has repeatedly refused to admit his federation as 'a failure', reportedly showed no interest to continue as a member of the federation any further.

The BFF is already running on extra time after its executive committee, which expired last April, was given the responsibility by the FIFA and AFC to amend its constitution according to FIFA statutes before holding an election. The incumbent BFF executive committee was given a maximum time of one year to complete the job.

With the Caretaker Government firm to reform the sports federations, it would not be surprising if the BFF follows in the footsteps of its cricket counterpart.