Salahuddin returns to his 'world'

Bangladesh Football Federation's long-serving president (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin wants to resume his activity at the helm with full force after recovering from open-heart surgery about three months ago. 

Salahuddin visited the BFF Headquarters for the first time on Wednesday since unveiling the nameplates of Swadhin Bangla football team members at BFF House on December 16, 2023.

"It seems to me that I have returned to my world because I did not know whether I would survive when I was taken to the operating room," Salahuddin told reporters yesterday.

Salahuddin informed that he is completely fit to work, and that physicians have urged him to continue with his everyday activities, but that he is experiencing some mental stress as a result of the open-heart surgery after four blockages were found in his heart following a high-blood pressure complaint.

"I don't want to do things half-heartedly. If I stay in football, I will do exactly what I did before. I don't want to be the BFF president without doing anything; instead, if I don't want to continue, I'll quit football," said the BFF chief, who had travelled to Germany for a month-long rehabilitation before returning home on Tuesday.

"You know, my family doesn't want me to stay in football for 6-7 years, but the thing is, those who stay in football, they can feel things," he said.

The results of the national U-19 and U-16 women's football teams had pleased the 70-year-old, who watched their matches while bedridden, to a great extent.

"The women's teams are doing really well and Bangladesh are now champions in every women's section: from senior SAFF Championship to U-16 Women's SAFF Championship in the sub-continent," Salahuddin said.

"However, it has been a lengthy journey for the national men's team, given our football once had a domestic-competition base with a craze among the supporters. But we did not achieve many achievements at international level aside from victories against Thailand and a few other countries after the Liberation [of Bangladesh]. So, we need to go a long way for the men's football team."

In response to a question concerning Nazmul Hassan Papon, the new Youth and Sports Minister and president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Salahuddin stated that his connection with Papon is like a family.

"It has been a long and family relationship that has not developed over one or two days, but what happened in recent times was foreign [external] involvement… There is no possibility of anything [dispute] happening because we discussed general topics," Salahuddin claimed, adding that the conversation with Papon at his residence was exactly what he expected.