kamrul Hasan: Aminul Haque, the sports secretary of the BNP`s central executive committee, convener of Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP, former captain of the national football team and a candidate for the Dhaka-16 constituency, has alleged that the current government`s sports advisor is running the country`s cricket and all sports with an authoritarian and dictatorial attitude.

In an exclusive interview with Muslim Times on Sunday afternoon, Aminul Haque said, "Bangladesh cricket is being held hostage by a powerful syndicate, which has not only taken the players but also the entire sports arena hostage. Here, political loyalty is valued more than qualifications and merit. Talent is judged by party color, which can never elevate the standard of sports to the international level."

He also said that partisanship and political influence have reached an extreme level in the current sports arena. Not only cricket, but other sports including football, hockey, athletics are in turmoil due to the struggle for group interests and personal power. Due to this, the country is losing potential talented players and the interest in sports is also gradually decreasing among the young generation.

Drawing on the political context, Aminul Haque commented, “Just as democracy has been suppressed in the country, freedom has been taken away from sports as well. Just as it is important to restore democracy for the country, honest, competent and professional leadership is essential for sports as well.”

He gave a strong message to the government, saying, “Come out of the authoritarian mentality, remove political influence on sports. Sports should be for everyone, based on ability and merit. Only then will we be able to stand tall in the international arena again.”

Comparing the sports and political situation of the country, Aminul Haque added, “A country where sports are not free can never be truly independent.”

He mentioned that if BNP comes to power, it will work to keep the sports arena free from the clutches of politics, so that every player gets the opportunity to develop his talent and it spreads in the international arena. The need of the hour is to get rid of the attitude that dictators had corrupted the sports arena in the past.

Finally, he made a special appeal to the interim government`s sports advisor, saying, "Right and accountable decisions must be taken to make the sports arena well-equipped and dynamic. Only then will the country`s skilled players be able to achieve success at the international level."