Stage set for Salahuddin-Ashraf contest in BFF elections

After hectic campaigning and allegations and counter allegations, the stage is now all set for Saturday’s Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) elections.

The polling will decide whether experienced sports administrator Kazi Mohammad Salahuddin will retain the post of president or the top job will go to Kamrul Ashraf Khan.

There are 46 candidates in the fray for elections to the post of one president, four vice-presidents and 15 members.  Altogether 134 electorates will cast their vote at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel from 2pm to 5pm.

Abdus Salam Murshedy has been elected unopposed as the senior vice president as rival candidates have withdrawn the nominations.

For the post of president the contest will be between Salahuddin and Ashraf Khan as two other aspirants have pulled out of the race.

There are ten contenders for the four posts of vice presidents while 32 will vie for the 15 member slots.

Salahuddin-led Sammilita Parishad released a 25-point manifesto to take the “Bangladesh football forward.”

His opponent “Bachao Football” Parishad came out with a 14-point manifesto.

Former footballer Salahuddin is banking on his long association with the sport to become BFF president for the third time. He also served as a president of the South Asian Football Federation for the two consecutive terms. This 61-year-old former footballer is also a member of FIFA’s marketing committee.

In the manifesto, he promised to provide funds to clubs, form under-14, under-16, and under-18 teams, revive the defunct football academy, and build an international-standard fitness centre among other things.

On the other hand Ashraf Khan is a businessman-turned politician. He is an MP from Narsinghdi-2 parliamentary constituency.

He promised to make administrative and financial functioning of BFF more accountable and to take football to village level, along with other ambitions.

Representatives of the Asian Football Confederation have already reached Dhaka to monitor the elections.

FIFA representatives are also likely to reach here.