Ruhul blasts BFF committee

Tarafder Ruhul Amin, chairman of Saif Global Sports, which holds the marketing rights for the tenth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League, has accused the league committee of the Bangladesh Football Federation of breaching their contract's terms and conditions, thereby forcing them to incur loss due to suspension of the league without prior consultation.

The businessman-turned-football organiser even hinted that the league's suspension under the pretext of the U-18 national team's participation in the SAFF U-18 Championship later this month may have been done to steal momentum from the league's top sides.

“They [Professional Football League Committee] have suspended the league without consulting us, which is completely against the terms and conditions of the contract,” Ruhul Amin claimed at a press conference at his office yesterday.

“We have a lot of investment in the league. We are already running a loss due to this league committee and that is why we haven't got good sponsors. The broadcasters are facing trouble due to deferral of the league again and again,” he said.

The league will be suspended after the end of the eighth round today and will not resume until the first week of October.

Ruhul Amin said that the league could have been rescheduled instead of being halted while claiming that the team with the most number of players in the U-18 squad was in favour of rescheduling.

“The matches should have been rescheduled instead of suspension of the league. Saif Sporting have most number of players (5) in the squad, but as far as I know they didn't ask for suspension,” said Amin, who is also the chairman of football committee of Chittagong Abahani. 

“We have heard that the suspension has been done to halt the progress of teams like Chittagong Abahani, Saif Sporting and Sheikh Jamal who are ahead in the league,” he added.

Chittagong Abahani led the table before yesterday's fixtures, followed by Sheikh Jamal while defending champions Abahani are in third position, five points off the pace.