No Brothers in top flight?

Brothers Union's participation in the upcoming season has become clouded by uncertainty after the Gopibagh-based outfit failed to complete their players' registration formalities within Tuesday's deadline.

12 of the 13 Bangladesh Premier League clubs, including trouble-hit Muktijoddha Sangsad, completed their registration ahead of the start of the Federation Cup from December 22.

But Brothers Union failed to turn up to submit their documents following an 'internal problem' among club officials, who allegedly did not want to take responsibility of running the club in the new reality.

Brothers Union now run the risk of being relegated to the lower division, which would be a disappointment for a club once considered the country's third footballing force behind Abahani and Mohammedan.

The club has been mired in financial crisis since turning into a limited company in early 2010 and so far cleared only 20 per cent of last season's payments to players.

Amidst the backdrop of the pandemic, it is alleged that no official wants to take responsibility of forming a squad. Although unconfirmed, there are whispers that the club's director-in-charge, and BFF vice president, Mohiuddin Ahmed Mohi, wanted to resign earlier this month.

Yesterday, some players including national discarded Faisal Ahmed and Titumir Chowdhury Titu were waiting at the club premises looking for good news from club officials. Most players left on Tuesday after failing to sign agreements.

"I can't say anything about the players' registration or participation in the upcoming season until we have a meeting on Saturday," Brothers Union president Nazrul Islam told The Daily Star. "We have actually submitted the documents within the deadline on December 15 but there may have been some technical problems with the papers. That's why the BFF did not release our players' list," said manager Amer Khan.

The long-serving manager also provided their list, including foreign players Manday Osagie, Fulkatjon, Samson Iliasu and Siyo Zunapio, and added: "It is true that we could not start training yet but it is for sure that Brothers Union will take part in the Federation Cup as a preparation for Bangladesh Premier League."

BFF senior vice president and professional league committee chairman Abdus Salam Murshedy was aware of the crisis at Brothers Union but said the BFF they could do nothing to settle an interal dispute. "12 clubs completed their registration within the deadline but Brothers Union could not do it because although they submitted the papers, some of them have no signature," said Murshedy. "According to the bylaws we will now send it to the Players' Status Committee, which will define the fates of those papers as well as the participation of Brothers Union in the upcoming season."