No players of the national team may participate in the campaign of any political party or individual. Ahead of the national parliamentary election, the National Sports Council has issued a cautionary notice in this regard.
On Monday (24 November), a letter titled “Warning regarding not using national team players in election campaigns” was sent to all sports federations and boards of the country.
It stated that all are hereby informed that the players of the Bangladesh national team are assets of the country and symbols of unity for all citizens. In the interest of preserving the neutrality and sanctity of sports and athletes, it is not desirable for the image of sports or players to be associated with or used in any kind of political or electoral activities.
Ahead of the upcoming election, it is being observed that some quarters or individuals are attempting to use current national team players before the public for election campaigns or similar purposes. The National Sports Council considers that using players in such activities may cause irreparable damage to the country and the country’s sports arena in various ways.
Therefore, all concerned federations/associations and all parties related to the players are being specially cautioned.
The cautionary notice states:
a. Players may not be used in any election-related banners/posters/leaflets for election campaigning or in favor of any candidate.
b. Efforts to involve players in speeches at election meetings or any campaign-related activities must be avoided.
c. All players must remain aware as bright personalities representing the country’s positive image through the sports federations, and must strictly follow the instructions of the National Sports Council in this regard.
It has been instructed to comply with the mentioned directives. It stated that it is the responsibility of every patriotic citizen as well as members of the sports community to ensure that no negative impact falls on the country or its overall sports sector through any wrongdoing, and that no harm is caused to the country’s overall governance.
