BFCA demands participation money

The Bangladesh Football Clubs Association (BFCA) yesterday threatened they might ask clubs under its banner not to participate in the second leg of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and the Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) if the clubs are not paid participation money in full.

The newly-formed association's general secretary Mominul Haque Sayeed, who is also president of Bangladesh Premier League outfit Arambagh, said: "We are thinking whether to participate in the second leg. Unless we are paid participation money before the second leg, eight clubs might not play."

He made the statement during the association's second meeting at a hotel in Dhaka.

The association's president Tarafder Ruhul Amin, meanwhile, demanded the game's local governing body to hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) as soon as possible. "We are demanding the Bangladesh Football Federation to declare a date for the AGM within the next 15 days. The AGM has not been held for the last three years, which keeps the clubs in dark, giving no scope to voice their issues."

According to the association officials, seven of the 13 BPL clubs and most clubs in the lower leagues have representation in the association.

BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag, when contacted, said they were hoping to pay the participation money before the start of the second leg of the two leagues.

"We are hoping to get sponsors within the next month. As soon as we get sponsorship, we will pay off the participation money to the clubs of the BPL and BCL on the basis of the decision of the league committee," Shohag said.

The first leg of the BPL is scheduled to end on April 20 while the first leg of BCL is scheduled to be finished by the end of this month.