The founders of Wushu in Bangladesh placed a seven-point demand, including dissolution of the current committee of Bangladesh Wushu Federation led by Awami League central sports sub-committee member Dulal Hossain, in a press meet at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Saturday.
Bangladesh Wushu Founders' Forum Chairman Advocate Shahidul Haque Bhuiyan, Secretary General Shifu Dildar Hasan (Dilu), coaches, judges and organisers made the demand.
The organisers of the game also asked the authority for a new audit of all the previous financial records of the federation.
At the press conference, Advocate Shahidul Haque Bhuiyan said, "We demand the abolition of the current autocratic committee in Wushu. The founders of this game in Bangladesh had worked hard to build the national sports federation and brought various national and international achievements. Afterwards, like many sports federations, Wushu Federation was taken under political control."
"Later, the discipline failed to bring any gold medal since we last won an international gold medal in 2010. There have been no new achievements over the years."
"As you know, before the last national election, the ad hoc committee of Wushu led by Dulal Hossain hurriedly arranged an election and formed a committee. Therefore, we demand to dissolve this undemocratic committee formed under the influence and involvement of Awami League central publicity and publications secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap and Awami League sports sub-committee member Dulal Hossain," said Advocate Shahidul Haque Bhuiyan.
The founding general secretary of Wushu in Bangladesh Shifu Dildar Hasan said, "They failed to bring sponsors due to their incompetence. They regularly took the allocated money from the National Sports Council but did not properly utilise for the development purpose or organisation of sports. They did not participate in any international games except an invitation event.
Besides, they spent Tk 21 lac for various formalities. That's how they damaged the game."
The speakers at the briefing said that Bangladesh won three gold medals, seven silver medals and 11 bronze medals in the 3rd South Asian Championship held in Dhaka in 2008. Bangladesh also won two gold medals and two bronze medals in 2010 SA Games.
Besides, the game was added to BKSP, Army, Border Guard, and various organisations. But after the federation was occupied politically, it lost the spirit.
The Wushu founders pointed out that the current Wushu coach was not a person of the game. They alleged that the treasurer of Wushu was formerly a Cycling coach and was not in Wushu before.
Mohammad Anwar Hossain, international coach of Wushu and organiser of Sylhet Wushu, who was present at the press conference, said that the current general secretary has cheated him financially. He said he was not paid $300 for participating in an international coaches and referees training in Macao. Despite filing a written complaint with the National Sports Council, the issue was not resolved.
On the other hand, Mohammad Rezaul Karim Sadi, a Wushu Club organiser complained that Dulal took money from them for club registration purpose in 2018 and forced them to buy Wushu dresses. But he (Dulal) did not register them in the end.
Shifu Dildar Hasan said that they were going to brief the Sports Search Committee regarding the matter soon. They would go for a larger movement to restore transparency in the arena.
