Landslide victory for Salahuddin & Co
Three-time president of Bangladesh Football Federation Kazi Salahuddin retained his helm for another four years as delegates gave the former star player the mandate to run the show of game's local governing body for a fourth consecutive term.
The 66-year left two independent candidates -- Badal Roy and Shafiqul Islam Manik -- far behind in the presidential race by bagging 94 out of 135 votes which were cast, pouring cold water on the anticipation of a battle between him and Roy, who got 40 votes.
Manik ended in third position with a single vote as a total of 135 delegates out of 139 turned up in the much-discussed polls. Delegates of Chattogram Abahani, Sheikh Jamal DC, Sheikh Russel KC and Faridpur DFA did not turn up in the congress as well as in the elections.
Though general football fans, who also turned up yesterday in front of the election venue forming a small human chain, raised their voices on social media platforms and took to the street protesting against the incumbent president in the past, the delegates eventually chose Salahuddin as the president.
Salahuddin, also president of South Asian Football Federation, was the strong candidate since the announcement of the withdrawal of Roy, who was completely silent during the election process. He had submitted his withdrawal letter after deadline but started communicating with the delegates on Thursday, just two days before the election.
Roy, who was paralysed followed a brain haemorrhage in 2017 and did not turn up to t election venue yesterday, had urged the delegates to make it a silent revolution to bring change in the BFF leadership. But the delegates gave Salahuddin another chance to complete his unfinished work of past 12 years.
It was not only Salahuddin who shone in the much-hyped polls, his panel completely outplayed the integrated panel, who had called for a campaign to bring a change and was hopeful of seizing on the important posts. Instead the Salahuddin-led panel secured the senior vice-president's post as well as three vice-president posts.
Abdus Salam Murshedy, too, retained his leadership as the senior vice-president for the fourth successive term by outvoting Sheikh Mohammad Aslam by 91 to 44 votes.
Salahuddin's combined panel also won three out of four vice president posts.
Actually, it is the triumph of the voters, who brought this result. Many people said many things, but the delegates gave the answers, and I want to thank them.
I have been with football for 12 long years and I always ensured that it was held regularly, and so those involved with football supported me. Many current players came before the AGM to wish me and that helped me realise that I was working well.
If you look back at the previous elections' results, the number of votes in favour of me has gradually increased, although a section doesn't want to see me at BFF.
We are not here to play politics; all of us are here for football… Those who have been elected from the opposition panel also love football and we will work together in the future.
---Kazi Salahuddin