DHAKA, Sept 14, 2024 (BSS) - Kazi Salahuddin has decided not to contest in the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) elections, effectively ending his long tenure as the top boss of the country's football apex body.

The former footballer, who has been the president of BFF since 2008, announced the decision today in an impromptu press conference at the BFF building. The next election is scheduled to be held on October 26.

"I feel very lucky to have been in charge for four terms. I feel very privileged that the opportunity to become BFF president came in my life.
 
I won't contest in the elections which will be held on October 26. The decision is final. I came here to let you know this," he said here today.
 
There was also a demand to postpone the October 26 election. Salahuddin said that the BFF wrote a letter to FIFA in this regard but the world football apex body rejected the plea. FIFA said in response to BFF's letter that the election cannot be delayed even a day.

After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5 following a student-led mass uprising, Bangladesh football supporters' organization 'Bangladesh Football Ultras' demanded Salahuddin's resignation. The organization also protested in front of BFF twice. The organization then gave Salahuddin an ultimatum to resign.

However, ignoring the ultimatum, Salahuddin said on August 13 that he will not resign, but will seek fifth term as president.

Just a month later, he changed his stance and decided to withdraw from the elections.

In 2008, Salahuddin became the president of BFF for the first time by defeating Amin Ahmed Chowdhury by 62-49 votes. After that in 2012, Salahuddin was again elected president unopposed. He faced strong opposition in the 2016 elections, but at the end, Salahuddin (83 votes) retained his throne in BFF by defeating Kamrul Ashraf Khan (50 votes). In the 2020 elections, Kazi Salahuddin's rivals for the post of president were former vice-president Badal Roy and former footballer and coach Shafiqul Islam Manik.

Salahuddin won again by getting 94 votes in that election. Although Badal Roy initially announced to withdraw from the election due to illness, he got 40 votes, while Manik got 1 vote.

Demands for Salahuddin's resignation from BFF have grown stronger over the past few years. FIFA took disciplinary action against BFF in April last year for allegations of financial irregularities. Abu Nayeem Sohag, the then general secretary of BFF, was banned for two years.

FIFA has fined senior vice-president Salam Murshedi Tk 13 lakh for allegedly failing to perform his duties as head of the Finance Committee. Salam, however, stepped down from the post of BFF vice-president soon after the political change.

Before this, the former captain of the national team, Arif Hossain Moon, resigned from the executive committee raising various questions about the lack of transparency in administrative and financial matters. The question has become stronger of late that whether Salahuddin can avoid the responsibility of these irregularities as the president.