BHF polls today in changed venue
The highly-anticipated election of the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) will take place today with the voting centre changed at the last moment, prompting controversy among the councillors.
Two panels -- one led by former star player Abdus Sadeque and the other by organiser AKM Moninul Haque Shaeed -- are contesting in the BHF polls with 84 councillors to cast votes to elect 28 members -- five vice-presidents, one general secretary, two joint secretaries, one treasurer and 19 executive members.
The voting was originally scheduled to be held at the conference room of the old building of the National Sports Council, but the election commission shifted the venue to Sultana Kamal Women’s Sports Complex in Dhanmondi under the premise of creating a free and fair environment for the councillors.
“Yesterday [Saturday], a few councillors expressed their worry over whether they can cast their votes freely as there is an influential candidate from this area [Motijheel]. To ensure fair voting, we have today [Sunday] shifted the venue to Dhanmondi from the National Sports Council. There will be enough security force to make sure the councillors can cast their votes smoothly,” BHF election commissioner and NSC sports director Shah Alam Sarder said yesterday.
“It is not only a conspiracy for influencing the councillors but also makes them confused,” general secretary candidate Shaeed told reporters alleging that a group is busy to win the polls by hatching a conspiracy against the organisers, who love hockey.
However, the Sadeque-panel saw no problem with the shift of voting centres.
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