MSC in a fix to form team
Casino episode halts Mohammedan, Muktis, Arambaghs normal activities
SPORTS REPORTER, Dhaka
Mohammedan Sporting Club, Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra and Arambagh KS are in a fix ahead of the football season following raids on their respective club premises for their alleged involvement in the casino business.
The inter-club players transfer schedule started from September 1 and almost all the clubs have begun their deals to organise teams, but these three are yet to get in the act due to the casino episode.
Meanwhile, the director in-charge of Mohammedan Sporting Club, Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan, who almost single-handedly ran the clubs activities, is under arrest. Hence, it has become more difficult for the club to organise its team ahead of the forthcoming season.
Despite all the troubles, Mohammedan insiders informed that their permanent members were working to start the process of players transfer registration. But they will need time for this and will apply to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) to extend the registration schedule, the deadline of which is November 20.
Apart from the trouble with law enforcement agencies, Mohammedan Sporting Club has been performing poorly on the field, too, for the past few seasons and featuring among the bottom teams on the points table.
The High Court has appointed a president for Mohammedan SC, but he is yet to take charge and join in the clubs activities.
Talking to The Independent yesterday, Sarwar Hossain, one of the directors of Mohammedan SC, said, Our club will take part in the players transfer, Inshallah. But we need time and we will officially write to the BFF to extend the transfer time. Now the last date is November 20, but we will request to extend it up to the end of December. Obviously, Mohammedan SC wants to play and want to join in the players registration deal. But for different unexpected happenings, we are in trouble. It will take time to reorganise and to get rid of these problems.
He further said, You know, it is a matter of deals involving crore of takas. We will have to secure the funds, which will take time.
This is especially because Lokman bhai has been leading us and now he is absent.
Disclosing the clubs initiatives on players registration, Sarwar said, Now, all the permanent members have together taken the initiative to form at least a reasonable team. Right now, discussions are going on in this regard and we will start our activities to take part in the players transfer very soon.
As of now, the club has no president to lead it and so all our permanent members and existing board are working together as a unit. About the players transfer deal, we have no knowledge of how he (Lokman) conducted it and so we have to make fresh moves, he added.
Anyway, right now we are thinking to form at least a mediocre team. We can at least keep our prestige intact by fielding a team, Sarwar revealed.
On the HC-appointed president, the club official said, The new president is yet to take charge and start participating in club activities because he hasnt received any official letter as yet. He said this to some of the permanent members who contacted him regarding his taking charge.
