BFF unveils elaborate plan, calendar

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin has said that having completed his primary objective to keep football rolling throughout his tenure's first eight years, he wishes to see the country's football take a step forward by implementing a number of new objectives over the next four years.

The BFF boss made these statements during a press conference held at the BFF headquarters yesterday where he also officially unveiled the third phase of the BFF development plan along with a calendar for the next four years (2017-2020).

“In 2008 my main commitment was to keep football on the ground. And I can say that we have been successful in doing that,” said Salahuddin. “Now I have the mandate of my councillors to take the country's football forward for the next four years. The calendar for the next four years has been prepared after consensus and input from all the stakeholders.”

Despite the BFF previously failing on numerous occasions to stick to its annual calendars, mostly due to a lack of will to participate from the clubs, the BFF boss was adamant that the calendar will be strictly maintained from now on, claiming that the BFF has financial backing to implement the elaborate plans. 

“I have done my homework. This programme is completely backed by finance. We will reveal the sources of funds and the specific areas where those funds will be used in January. We have discussed with the clubs and have been assured that they would stick to the calendar,” continued Salahuddin.

The new four-year calendar set specific time frames for each tournament, training camp and transfer window in each year in accordance with domestic and international events. In a bid to maintain the link between the football league's top and lower tiers, the calendar will also include the re-introduction of tournaments such as the Sher-e-Bangla Cup and Suhrawardi Cup while also making time for new tournaments.    

The development plan is to be focused on eight key technical areas, namely elite player development, coach education and development, competitions, referee development, medical and sports science, professional clubs and leagues and women's football and grassroots.

As grassroots and age-level football will be one of the principal focuses of the proposed third phase of the development plan, Salahuddin expects a strong youth team in four years' time, which will eventually form a strong senior national team. “Four years later the under-16 team will turn into under-20s, and I will want that team to be winning titles in this region. I think we will be in a respectable position. I want to see the national team in the SAFF Championship final and in a respectable position in Asian football at the end of four years,” Salahuddin explained.

Among others, the programme was attended by the BFF's senior vice president Abdus Salam Murshedy, women's wing chairman Mahfuza Akter Kiron, BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag, BFF's technical and strategic director Paul Smalley. However, the federation's development committee chairman Badal Roy and National Teams Committee chairman Kazi Nabil Ahmed were, among others, not present, due to personal engagements, as claimed.