Another blow from FIFA to Bangladesh football

The reign of mismanagement by Abu Nayeem Shohag within the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has long been suspected, with accusations not escaping the notice of top officials. Efforts to dismiss these allegations have now been proven futile by a report published by FIFA on Thursday, May 23rd.

Abdus Salam Murshedy, Senior Vice President of BFF and head of the Finance Committee, has been fined 10,000 Swiss Francs by FIFA's Adjudicatory Chamber, amounting to approximately 12 lakh and 83 thousand Taka. The former football star was found to have violated Article 14 (General Duties) of FIFA's regulations. He failed to ensure the proper expenditure of funds allocated by FIFA according to its guidelines. Murshedy was involved in every purchase and payment process. The 52-page report clearly outlines the processes for spending FIFA's allocated funds and how BFF deviated from these processes. It also details the involvement of specific officials in these expenditures.

FIFA's investigation proved that the processes for purchasing airline tickets for the national team's Oman tour, buying grass-cutting machines, footballs, and other sports equipment were irregular. The report provides a detailed account of Abdus Salam Murshedy's role in these irregularities. Murshedy has explained his position to FIFA in writing. After thorough verification, FIFA's Adjudicatory Chamber released the report, which highlights the lack of financial transparency among BFF's top officials.

Taking advantage of this negligence, a dangerous syndicate for embezzling funds has formed within BFF. This syndicate created several paper companies that participated in BFF tenders, ultimately siphoning off money through fabricated supplies. Often, the financial regulations of the organization were disregarded.

Rumors of Abu Nayeem Shohag purchasing multiple flats in the city have been circulating for a long time. By leading the syndicate within BFF, he seemingly turned these rumors into reality. The first verdict announced in April 2023 made this clear. Irregularities in purchasing Zoom setups, gym equipment, and the interior decoration of the FIFA consultant's room and the BFF referee consultant's room brought these rumors to light.

FIFA's report provides detailed information on Abu Nayeem Shohag's involvement in these purchases and activities. It specifies which clauses of FIFA's regulations he violated, leading to his three-year ban from all football-related activities. Additionally, he has been fined 20,000 Swiss Francs, equivalent to about 26 lakh Taka.

From the onset of FIFA's investigation into BFF's financial affairs, the former head of BFF's finance department, Abu Hossain, was seeking a way out. He stayed in Australia with his family for an extended period and made arrangements to immigrate to Canada. Amid the turmoil in the football sector due to the "Shohag scandal," this long-time accused officer intended to escape by resigning from his position. Another accused, Operations Manager Mizanur Rahman, also sought to flee and resigned like Abu Hossain. However, their attempts were in vain as both were banned from all football activities for two years and fined 10,000 Swiss Francs each.

FIFA's investigating department also scrutinized the role of Procurement and Store Officer Imrul Hasan Sharif. Although he escaped with a warning, he was instructed to undergo FIFA's compliance training.

In response to the first wave of corruption allegations, BFF formed an internal investigation committee. After a thorough investigation, the committee submitted several recommendations. The investigation also named some current employees from various BFF departments, who continue to remain in their positions.

The question now is whether the governing body of football in the country will learn from these consecutive blows or continue its mismanagement in a different manner. It's challenging to answer this question immediately. The response within the football community to FIFA's second published report remains to be seen. With the upcoming BFF elections, it will be interesting to observe whether the FIFA report impacts Abdus Salam Murshedy's participation in the electoral race, as it did in the past four elections.

Author: Journalist