BFF staff salaries withheld over Tk 35 lakh in unsettled advances

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has withheld the salaries of several staff members over unsettled advances totalling Tk 35.14 lakh, with some employees yet to submit bills and vouchers for expenses incurred on behalf of the federation.

According to BFF records, the highest outstanding advance�"around Tk 8.5 lakh�"is owed by Touhid, an executive of the women’s wing. His salary has been withheld pending submission of the relevant accounts.

Two executives from the BFF media department also have more than Tk 10 lakh in unsettled advances between them. Although their regular media expenses are limited, they handle expenses related to overseas tours of the men’s and women’s national teams. Their salaries have also been withheld over delays in submitting expense statements.

Administrative executive Ahsanur Robin had more than Tk 3.5 lakh in advances outstanding until May but submitted accounts for only Tk 4,000 by July. Meanwhile, Mostakim, an executive recently assigned to national team affairs, had more than Tk 4 lakh in unsettled expenses as of July, although the amount has since decreased.

Coach Mahbubur Rahman Polo is also on the salary-withheld list, with around Tk 1.7 lakh in expenses yet to be settled as of July. He oversees various coaching programmes, trials and friendly matches at the BFF turf.

However, two staff members praised for their commitment�"groundsman Chandu and national team attendant Mohsin�"have submitted most of their expense accounts on time. Chandu spent nearly Tk 3.75 lakh on ground preparations and submitted bills for Tk 3.62 lakh within the stipulated time. Mohsin submitted bills for Tk 23,000 and returned Tk 600 in cash from an advance of around Tk 23,600.

The accounts department is responsible for collecting bills and settling advances on time, while the secretary general is responsible for overall supervision. BFF officials said several executives continued to delay submissions despite repeated reminders.

BFF executive committee members have expressed frustration over the issue, questioning staff performance and compliance with financial procedures.

The issue is particularly significant because BFF salaries are funded partly through FIFA and AFC grants, while the federation has previously faced sanctions over compliance failures involving former senior officials and executives.

The latest situation has raised questions over whether the current administration has learned from those earlier compliance problems.

SKS