Salahuddin not above accountability

Football has been at the centre of every discussion in the sports fraternity in the country for the past month, but unfortunately the conversation has revolved around administrative shortcomings such as the Bangladesh Football Federation's (BFF's) failure to send the senior women's team to the Paris Olympic Qualifiers to more sordid off-field affairs like FIFA's sanctions against former BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag for financial irregularities.

The formation of the investigation committee made to look into Shohag's breaches and their modus operandi provided more topics before things took another unbecoming turn during an unpleasant and unacceptable chat between two BFF higher-ups.

Despite its status as the most popular sport in the country after liberation, the nation's football scene has regressed to a sorrowful state, with the decline especially stark during star footballer Kazi Salahuddin's tenure at the helm over the past 14 years.

An idea of how football has been run over the years can be seen from the FIFA Rankings, where Bangladesh are currently 192nd out of 211 nations. The pleas of football lovers across the nation have fallen on the deaf ears of the decision-makers, who have failed to even develop and stick to a specific masterplan.

Demands are usually met with the catch-all term 'financial constraints', including for the BFF's inability to send the women's team to the Paris Olympic Qualifiers. However, such concerns were cast aside when the BFF suddenly unveiled a lavish 10-million-dollar plan to host world champions Argentina for a friendly match against an undecided opponent.

After months of radio silence about the issue, the BFF president confirmed yesterday that the plan was being scrapped since "it would not be possible to prepare the venue before the game".

But FIFA's disclosure of financial irregularities -- specifically "for having used false and/or falsified documents to justify payments made by the BFF with FIFA funds" -- raised more questions.

Despite demands for crucial answers and the formation of an independent investigation committee to look into those sanctions, the investigation committee was formed with 10 BFF officials, two of whom stepped down. Even more curiously, the remaining eight members of the investigation committee have not found the time to sit together yet despite being formed over two weeks ago, providing another glimpse into the psyche of the BFF.

Amidst the scandal at the BFF in the wake of FIFA's findings, Salahuddin could have taken steps to repair the damage to the country's footballing image. Instead, he launched himself into hot water with disrespectful comments about journalists and disparaging remarks about their parents.

Instead of focusing energy on such negativity, perhaps it would be better to focus on the facts, information and evidence. As BFF president, Salahuddin cannot shirk his responsibilities in terms of the role he has played behind the decline in the nation's football or the financial irregularities within his organisation.

As the caretaker of the sport in the nation, he should shift his focus to on-field issues and the revival of football.