For several years, FIFA, the governing body of world football, has been investigating the financial dealings of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). Last year, on April 14th, they imposed a two-year ban on former BFF General Secretary Abul Nayeem Sohag. However, the Adjudicatory Chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee continued its investigation.
Following their investigation, FIFA’s Investigatory Chamber on Thursday announced a two-year ban on two BFF staff members and extended Sohag’s ban to three years. Additionally, the federation’s Finance Committee Chairman and Senior Vice President, Abdus Salam Murshedy, has been fined 13 lakh taka for irregularities and a lack of proper oversight of financial activities. Notably, the newly released FIFA report raises questions about the involvement of BFF President Kazi Salahuddin in these financial improprieties.
In addition to these decisions related to the BFF, FIFA also released separate files for each individual. The 52-page FIFA report on Senior Vice President and Finance Committee Chairman Abdus Salam also mentions the name of the federation’s president, Kazi Salahuddin. On page five, in point 26, FIFA’s Investigatory Chamber, after analyzing the BFF’s comparative quotes, found that four people were always involved in the selection of vendors. These four were the BFF’s former Chief Financial Officer Abu Hossain, former General Secretary Abul Nayeem Sohag, Finance Committee Chairman Abdus Salam Murshedy, and BFF President Kazi Salahuddin.
FIFA, the governing body of world football, provides grants and financial assistance to its member associations. FIFA’s money must be spent according to specific rules and regulations, especially in the area of procurement. Despite FIFA’s repeated urgings, the BFF did not have a specific procurement policy. Although a procurement policy was formally approved on October 1, 2019, it did not come into effect until January 1, 2020.
According to the BFF’s procurement policy, three quotes are required to purchase any goods or services worth more than 1 lakh taka. The BFF can use this quotation process to procure goods and services up to 10 lakh taka. The FIFA report also mentions Salahuddin’s name in the vendor selection process through quotations for purchases/services above 10 lakh taka. For purchases/services above 10 lakh taka, the federation invites tenders.
FIFA has also published BFF checks and various documents in Salam Murshedy’s report. One document bears the signature of BFF President Kazi Salahuddin. Last year, the BFF president’s name did not come up in the Sohag ban. This time, Salahuddin’s name has been mentioned in the FIFA report only in one of the five separate files.
The five files released on Thursday by FIFA outline the entire process from the BFF’s procurement request to payment check issuance in a step-by-step chart format. While the BFF president, Kazi Salahuddin, is not involved in the procurement process, his approval is required for payments. In particular, only the president has the authority to approve purchases/goods worth more than 10 lakh taka in Bangladeshi taka. For purchases below 10 lakh taka, the Chief Financial Officer, General Secretary, and Finance Committee Chairman can approve. The BFF’s checks can be signed by President Kazi Salahuddin, Senior Vice President Abdus Salam Murshedy, and Vice President Kazi Nabil Ahmed. In most cases, Salam Murshedy and Kazi Nabil Ahmed sign the checks. If one of these two is absent, Salahuddin signs the checks in special cases.
