As the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) prepares for its fourth executive committee meeting on 23rd August, Saturday, all eyes are on one item: the proposed constitutional amendments. A three-member reform committee, formed last November under newly elected president Tabith Awal, is set to present its draft — the culmination of months of consultation, including dialogue with FIFA.
The reform initiative, though formally launched in November, was a campaign promise from Awal, who pledged to modernise BFF’s governance. Yet, nearly ten months on, key structural gaps remain. Most notably, the referees’ committee — a cornerstone of any footballing body — is still absent, despite being tabled in March’s meeting.
The draft constitution will be debated and, if approved, forwarded to the Annual General Meeting for final ratification. But the road ahead is far from smooth. Bangladesh’s other sporting bodies — notably the BCB and Olympic Association — have faced fierce resistance to reform. The BCB’s attempt stalled under pressure from Dhaka’s club organisers, while the Olympic Association’s draft awaits IOC and AGM approval ahead of its November elections.
BFF’s financial transparency is also under scrutiny. With Tk 5 crore already received for the National Championship and another tranche expected, the federation plans to open a separate bank account to ensure clean accounting — a move aimed at shedding past allegations of mismanagement. Interestingly, this meeting marks a procedural shift. For the first time, executive members have been invited to propose additional agenda items ahead of the meeting — a departure from the usual top-down format. The venue, however, remains undecided, with some members pushing for a return to the federation’s headquarters after a controversial emergency meeting at Jalsiri.
In short, the Saturday meeting could be a watershed moment — if the federation can move beyond drafts and declarations to deliver real reform. Otherwise, it risks becoming yet another chapter in Bangladesh football’s long-running saga of promises deferred.
