Journalists slammed Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) head Kazi Salahuddin for his Tuesday statements regarding journalists and their families.
In a press statement, the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) said that Salahuddin’s reputation as president of the Bangladesh Free Press had been damaged. The Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) has called on Salahuddin to step down in a press statement that it has issued.
Through a press release on Wednesday, the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) took the step of suspending Salahuddin’s honorary membership in the organization.
On Tuesday, the president of the BFF was overheard making a joke at the journalists who had gone to cover a press conference that was held after an executive committee meeting. The president was caught in a hot mic scenario.
The conversation that he was having with BFF vice-president Kazi Nabil Ahmed, who was seated by his side, was picked up by microphones that were placed in front of him.
“In order to enter this building, journalists are required to produce photographs of their families,” he said.
“Another requirement is that they need to send a picture of their dad wearing shoes,” the condition said. Okay? It ought to be a requirement. There need to be photographs of the journalist’s father posing in various footwear.
However, when questioned by The Daily Star, the legendary footballer stated that he was not referring to the requirements to enter the BFF but rather the requirements to enter another institution.
“I was having a conversation with Nabil about the stringent qualifying requirements for acquiring membership at the Dhaka Club, where it is required to have pictures of both sets of parents. According to Salahuddin, the discussion was not about journalists but rather about membership in the Dhaka Club.
“Yes, I was aware of the cassette recorders that were in front of me.That would be foolish of me. The media portrayal of the meetings is not accurate; the conversations themselves are not like that. He continued by saying, “I’m sorry about it, and if anyone is hurt, please accept my apology.”
Recently, the president of the BFF has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, particularly in light of the fines that FIFA imposed on the previous general secretary of the BFF, Abu Nayeem Shohag, for financial irregularities.