Sports Desk

Bashundhara Kings president and Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) first vice-president Imrul Hassan was named as the new chairman of BFF’s Professional League Management Committee (PLMC) on Thursday.

BFF president Kazi Md Salahuddin, who had been in this chair since last year’s September after BFF senior vice-president Abdus Salam Murshedy's resignation, handed over the charges to Imrul at the BFF house.

Terming Imrul as a ‘capable man’, Salahuddin told the reporters,“From this day he (Imrul) is the new chairman. As a president, I’ve twenty other fields to look after. All of these are important. It is also an important and huge subject.”

“Everybody is attached to the clubs. If I consider these things then who will sit here? I don't think anyone else (of this committee) is capable... he is capable. I think I’ve picked up the right man,” Salahuddin replied while asking him to select Imrul as the new chairman of PLMC.

“I’ve never seen Imrul do his jobs out of ethics, he is an ethical man. I can guarantee that he will do his jobs according to ethics. Every club will get respect. I think we should give him all the cooperation.”the BFF boss further added.

Imrul, who had been the chairman of Dhaka Metropolitan Football League Committee (DMFLC) since October 2020, resigned from that post before taking his new charges.

“Controversy always exists... It is part of sports. I will try to do my job completely. My initial job will be to start and complete the league within the right time, try to match the local windows with the international windows,” Imrul replied while asking him the reason to take this responsibility.

“You will judge me through my jobs whether I'm impartial or not.... When I sit here (chairman), my club and I are totally different. So, my message is to every club I will be impartial and you also have to be…,” ended Imrul.

Meanwhile, the ongoing season’s curtain raiser Independence Cup 2023, which went on a month-long break due to an AFC Cup match and FIFA, AFC joint qualifiers matches on November 4, will resume today.

Kings, who have already reached the quarterfinals from the three-team Group D, will take on Chittagong Abahoni Ltd in the last group match at the Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani Stadium in Gopalganj at 2:30 pm (BST).

The quarter finals will take place on December 3 and 5 at two venues – Bashundhara Kings Arena and Shaheed Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj.

The semifinals will be held on December 15 at two venues – Kings Arena and Gopalganj while the final will take place December 18 in Gopalganj.

The venues for the knockout stage were selected through a draw ceremony at the BFF house on Thursday.