No compromise yet as two panels submit nominations
The highly-anticipated Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) elections is starting to heat up as two panels, backed by well wishers, councillors and organisers, submitted their nominations for 28 posts – the five vice presidents, one general secretary, two joint secretaries, a treasurer and 19 members -- to the election office at the National Sports Council yesterday. The elections will be held on April 8.
Interestingly, 58 out of 84 councillors submitted their nominations to contest in the BHF polls with the ad-hoc committee's outgoing general secretary and Abahani director Abdus Sadeque leading one panel while outgoing vice-president, Mohammedan SC councillor and Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club hockey committee chairman AKM Mominul Haque Sayeed at the helm of another panel.
Both candidates expressed their hope to win the elections and believe that the councillors will choose the appropriate individual for the betterment of the country's hockey scene.
“I belong to Abahani, who think there is no suitable general secretary candidate at the moment following the demise of Khaza Rahmatullah. So, I am contesting as the club wills it,” said former national team player Sadeque. “I think we should win the elections even though everyone belongs to hockey. If elected, I want to invest more in the district level as well as form two more national teams -- under-21 and under-18 -- as a pipeline for the national team.”
“You know what I have been doing in sports and I believe voters will take that into consideration to cast their votes in my favour. Most premier league clubs and lower division clubs have been with me and assured that they would support me till the last moment,” said Sayeed after submitting the nominations.
The previous BHF polls in 2013 actually had a negative effect on the sport as the ensuing drawn out stalemate led to five premier league clubs, like Mohammedan SC and Mariner Youngs Club, boycotting the then elected committee led by Khaza Rahmatullah. The turmoil finally ended after two-and-a-half years following reshuffles in some top posts which made Rahmatullah vice-president and Sadeque general secretary.
The current premier league teams are also divided up between two or three groups who are grasping for power, particularly the general secretary post, raising the question over whether all the clubs will agree to play together under the new committee. In that perspective, the hockey fraternity has demanded the formation of a consensus panel in the sport's best interest, however, that consensus/compromised panel seems ever elusive.
“I think there is no possibility of forming a comprised panel. Keeping me as general secretary, our panel tried it but Mr. Sayeed declined,” said Sadeque.
“Actually we heard about the compromised panel from you [the media] but no one gave us such a proposal. So, we don't know about it. Rather, we are preparing for the elections. You see, some people try to further their own interests under the banner of a club. I think voters will decide the right person to cast their votes for,” claimed Sayeed.
However, there have been whispers that there is still a slim chance for a consensus panel to be formed as candidates will have the opportunity to withdraw their nominations on April 4. General secretary aspirants Sayeed and Usha KC general secretary Abdur Rashid Shikdar submitted their nominations for both general secretary and vice-president posts while Sadeque only submitted one nomination, for the general secretary post.
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