Kings refuse to release players again for national team camp

Bashundhara Kings have once again refused to release players for the ongoing national team preparation camp ahead of the September friendly matches against Nepal, citing their own pre-season preparations.

Bangladesh team's coach Javier Cabrera conducted his first training session with only 12 players at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Friday after the club declined to release the following players: Topu Barman, Taj Uddin, Tariq Kazi, Saad Uddin, Sohel Rana, Sohel Rana Jr, Mohammad Ridoy, Faisal Ahmed Fahim, Rakib Hossain, and Shahriar Emon.

Defenders Issa Faisal of Police FC and Alomgir Molla of Abahani are expected to join the camp tonight. Players from Abahani, Mohammedan, and Brothers Union have already reported to the camp.

"In a bid to reduce the risk of injuries and ensure long-term wellbeing of players following their prolonged absence from competitive football, we have already begun our pre-season preparations. Therefore, it is not possible for us to release the players, and we are sincerely sorry," read a letter from Bashundhara Kings, signed by the club's general secretary, Biddyut Kumar Bhowmik, and addressed to the BFF general secretary.

The letter added that Bashundhara Kings have always supported the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and remain committed to the development of football in the country. It also referenced a previous incident involving Bishwanath Ghosh, who sustained an injury after joining the national team camp following a long lay-off.

The 12 players with the coaching staff prior to their first training session at the National Stadium on Friday. Photo: BFF

This is not the first time the five-time Bangladesh Premier League champions have declined to release their players. The club previously withheld players in 2019 ahead of the South Asian Games in Nepal, in 2020 ahead of two friendlies against Nepal in Dhaka, and in 2021 ahead of the World Cup Qualifiers in Qatar. However, on those occasions, they eventually released the players either later or in accordance with FIFA regulations. In 2023, the BFF excluded players from both Kings and Abahani when forming the squad for the Asian Games in China.

Interestingly, Bashundhara Kings president Imrul Hasan also serves as BFF's senior vice-president and vice-chairman of the national teams committee, which is responsible for holding the current camp and arranging the friendly matches against Nepal on 6 and 9 September in Kathmandu.

It is also worth mentioning that seven current members of the senior national team, who participated in the Asian Cup Qualifiers against Singapore in June, are now part of the U-23 national team. This has further complicated Cabrera's efforts to assemble a full-strength a strong squad.

National team manager Amer Khan told reporters that Bashundhara Kings are expected to release their players ahead of the official FIFA window next month.