Murshedy fined as FIFA imposes new sanctions on BFF office-bearers

Four former Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) officials and the current senior vice-president Abdus Salam Murshedy have been sanctioned by FIFA's adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee, the global governing body of football said in a statement on Thursday. 

FIFA also mentioned that the sanctions would come into force from today.

Murshedy, who is also the chairman of the BFF Finance Committee, has been ordered to pay a fine amounting to more than BDT 12 lakh (CHF 10,000) for breach of article 14 (general duties) of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

Meanwhile, BFF's former General Secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag has been banned from taking part in any football-related activity for a duration of three years and has been ordered to pay a fine amounting to more than BDT 25 lakh (CHF 10,000) for the breach of article 14 (General duties), article 16 (Duty of loyalty) and article 25 (Forgery and falsification) of the FIFA Code of Ethics.  

In 2023, Shohag was sanctioned with a two-year ban from taking part in all football-related activities and ordered to pay a fine of approximately BDT 12 lakh (CHF 10,000) for having used false and/or falsified documents to justify payments made by the BFF with FIFA funds. 

For breaching the same provision as Shohag, the independent Ethics Committee also sanctioned Abu Hossain, former Chief Financial Officer of the BFF, and Mizanur Rahman, former BFF Operations Manager. Both of them have been banned from taking part in any football-related activity for a duration of two years and were ordered to pay individual fines amounting to more than BDT 12 Lakh (CHF 10,000)

Meanwhile, Imrul Hasan Sharif, Procurement and Store Officer of the BFF, has been ordered to undergo compliance training provided by FIFA and was issued with a warning with respect to his future conduct.

"The decisions were taken following separate hearings and upon careful analysis, in each of the applicable proceedings, of both the evidence provided before the adjudicatory chamber and the evidence collected during the investigations conducted by the investigatory chamber," the statement by FIFA read.  

"The adjudicatory chamber was comfortably satisfied that the above individuals were involved with and/or participated in a number of transactions supported with false and/or falsified documentation, which were paid, or expected to be paid, with FIFA funds." 

BFF had imposed a lifetime ban on Shohag while Abu Hossain and Mizanur Rahman were terminated following the FIFA sanctions last year.