Footballers Call Strike

Bangladesh's preparation for two international football tournaments - the AFC Challenge Cup and the SAFF Championship - ran into jeopardy as the desperate footballers called a strike yesterday against the football's governing body.

In the wake of the cancellation of the new season's transfer, the footballers decided not to play for the national team or in any tournament under the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).

The national team were due to start training for next month's Challenge Cup in Kyrgyzstan within a week but former national captain Arif Khan Joy conveyed the decision of about 40 booters present at the Dhaka University ground saying they would boycott the BFF.

"We have decided not to play under the federation until the players get contracts for the new season," Joy told reporters.

"We will also not play for the national team," he added.

The transfer for the B. League started on March 15 but after the professional league clubs of Dhaka declined to take part, the BFF had to cancel it and announced that the transfer would be held after the April 28 election.

"Even if the BFF hastily announces another date for transfer soon, we will not move from our position. We want to see some real action from the federation and clubs," said Jewel Rana, another ex-national captain.

The BFF president, however, believed that the booters would change their stance for the sake of the national team.

"We will sit with the players. I hope they will consider the national pride," Sultan commented.