The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has a history of making embarrassing mistakes, especially during the previous leadership. Under Kazi Salahuddin, the BFF’s unprofessional behavior and lack of leadership often made it a source of national ridicule.
With the new committee, headed by Tabith Awal, hopes were high for a positive change. Initially, there were positive developments, such as the women’s national team achieving new milestones and renewed interest in the men’s team due to the addition of high-profile overseas players.
However, it seems that the BFF, as one of the wealthiest sports organizations in the country, continues to repeat its pattern of becoming a source of jokes. The recent controversy involving Malaysian multinational company Petronas has brought international embarrassment to the BFF.
After operating the Bangladesh Football League (BFL) without a title sponsor for two months, the BFF revealed a new league logo featuring the Petronas logo. The vice-president and marketing committee chairman, Fahad Karim, explained that the deal was signed with United Group, the authorized distributors of Petronas products in Bangladesh, but Petronas denied any involvement in a statement.
This news quickly spread across East Asian media, casting doubt on the credibility of the BFL and the BFF. The leaked draft logo, resembling other logos, triggered social media mockery and raised concerns about the BFF’s decision-making process.
The BFF’s marketing committee has a history of questionable partnerships with lesser-known companies, raising suspicions about the beneficiaries of such deals. Despite the Petronas controversy, the BFF attempted to downplay the issue by announcing United Health Care, a United Group subsidiary, as the league’s title sponsor, contradicting Petronas’s denial.
Arif Hoque, from the United Group, confirmed the sponsorship change to United Health Care, attributing the confusion to a ‘miscommunication.’ However, he could not provide a clear explanation for the mix-up or the premature association of a local league with a global brand.