Roy, Manik up against Salahuddin
Badal Roy and Shafiqul Islam Manik, two prominent former national footballers have offered challenge to the incumbent Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin in the upcoming elections as the three bought nomination papers to contest for the hot seat yesterday.
Salahuddin, who has been at the helm of the game's local governing body for the last 12 years, was thought to be the lone candidate for the president's post ever since Chattogram Abahani vice-president and Saif SC chairman Tarafder Ruhul Amin withdrew himself from election procedures in face of 'alleged pressure from some quarters' despite being actively involved with football for the last two-and-a-half years. However, the emergence of former Ducsu sports secretary Manik and Badal has brought some excitement back to the elections, which are scheduled to take place on October 3.
Roy had earlier announced that he would not leave Salahuddin uncontested and eventually stepped up for the challenge even though there were whispers he might skip the elections due to illness.
Apart from that the top post, though, this these elections are likely to be most one-sided since the 2008 polls when Salahuddin came to power for the first time. The Salahuddin panel is contesting in all 21 posts while there are only a few other candidates from outside this panel.
Former footballer Sheikh Mohammad Aslam has come up to challenge three-time senior vice-president Abdus Salam Murshedy. Eight candidates -- incumbents Kazi Nabil Ahmed, Mohiuddin Ahmed Mohi and Tabith M Awal along with Sheikh Mohammad Maruf Hasan, Amirul Islam Babu, Imrul Hasan, Atatur Rahman Bhuiyan Manik and SM Abdullah Al Fuad -- bought nomination papers for four vice-president posts while 36 nomination papers were sold for 15 member posts.
Today is the deadline of submitting nomination papers, but everything will be clear on September 13 when the final candidates' list will be announced.
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