Flood defers hockey polls

The much-hyped election of the Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) has been postponed for indefinite period by the National Sports Council (NSC) yesterday due to worsening flood situation across the country.

“As flood across the country has turned into a crisis situation and most areas have been affected by flood, the communication system of most areas has collapsed. The voters and candidates of the Bangladesh Hockey Federation are facing uncertainty over participation in the polls, so they have communicated with the election commission and BHF to defer the elections. Considering the situation, we have postponed August 27 polls until the announcement of re-scheduling comes,” election commissioner Muhammad Shukur Ali read out a statement at the NSC conference room.

Shukur Ali later said that the District and Divisional Sports Organisers' council, also known as Forum, appealed to defer the polls.

Interestingly the announcement of postponement came just a couple of hours after the leaders of Forum met with the BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon and BHF general secretary aspirant Khaza Rahmatullah at a city hotel where a number of councilors from Dhaka clubs, districts and divisions supported Rahmatullah.

“We are trying to form a consensus panel. We need both clubs and districts because it is not possible to run hockey with only either clubs or districts. Today we learnt the sentiment of the representatives of districts and we will sit with the clubs soon,” said Papon, who played a pivotal role in ending hockey impasse in 2015 by reshuffling the then committee.

However, another general secretary candidate Abdur Rashid Shikdar claimed that the election commission has taken the decision without consulting with them.

“If flood is the only reason behind the polls postponement, I have no objection. But if flood is used as an excuse, then I condemn the move as some 41 councilors already gave me their consent for the polls,” reacted Rashid.