Papon says ‘no comments’ on BFF issue

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has been plagued by criticism after the women's team's tour was cancelled owing to a lack of funds.  

The Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan Papon had remarked previously that the events were unfortunate.

Further criticism has now followed after the allegations submitted by the Investigatory Chamber (IC) of the FIFA Ethics Committee revealed that Abu Nayeem Shohag, in his position as General Secretary of the BFF, misused FIFA Forward funds and negligently allowed the use of forged or falsified documents to support the transactions BFF made with FIFA funds.

After distributing food to the less fortunate at the BCB academy premises today, the BCB president was unwilling to comment on the events that unfolded at BFF, saying, "No comments, I don't have interest in matters outside of cricket."

Regarding the misuse of FIFA funds, he felt that he needed to know more to comment on it.

"I am certain that those who are in BFF and sports ministry are looking into the matter. It's too early to comment on the matter.

"Let me hear and understand what they [BFF] are doing. So I don't want to talk about it right now," he added.

The BCB president had previously remarked that the BFF's inability to send the women's team to the 2024 AFC Women's Olympic Football Qualifying Tournament in Myanmar was very unfortunate.

He divulged what he said after the team was not sent to Myanmar.

"My answer that day was out of anger. Many feel that I reacted due to what was said about me but that's not the issue. It was mainly because the girls could not go. That chapter has closed and I don't know what's happening there at the moment. If I have to talk about it, I have to know the issues but I don't have time for that," he said.