While other participating teams are considering inaugural AFC U-22 Asian Cup as a platform for youth development, Bangladesh are indifferent about the importance of the second highest competition in Asia.

Groupings of 41-nation tournament was completed back in February 14, when Bangladesh were placed in Group D alongside Uzbekistan, Jordan, Yemen and hosts Nepal and the tournament is scheduled to get underway from June 2 in Kathmandu. However, with less than a month to go for the start of the tournament, Bangladesh haven't yet started their preparation.

Bangladesh football's governing body has only just sent a 50-member players' list to the AFC on Thursday and is still undecided as to the start of the training camp.

The members of the BFF were busy for the last few months with the election and could not pay attention to the preparation of the youth team. But there is a professional setup in BFF, and it beggars questioning what they

were doing regarding the preparation?

In the AFC website, Australia's Football Federation's tecJinical director Han Berger has termed the tournament as a great opportunity for young players to gain invaluable experience in international arena while Malaysian coach Ong Kim Swee sees the tournament as the development pathway for young players who will get a platform to showcase their talent. But BFF's technical director BA Jubair Nipu is seemingly pessimistic about Bangladesh's chances in the tournament.

“We have little chance of progress to the next round as we can only win against Nepal while the other opponents are much stronger," said Nipu.

He also admitted that there was less attention paid to the youth team due to the BFF elections but said he would meet with the BFF president Kazi Salahuddin today to discuss the matter.

“FIFA and AFC informed its member associations about their programme at least a year ago and we should have taken preparation accordingly but no one listened to me. However, I have been given the charge of the U-22 side in the last executive committee meeting last month,” said Nipu.

However, he said that the selection committee comprising six coaches, has picked 50 players from U-19, First Division League, second-tier professional league and the Bangladesh Premier League and are planning to immediately arrange a three-day trail to truncate the squad to 30 members.

Players like goalkeepers Shohidul Alam Sohel, Raghu, defenders Yeasin, Raihan, Yeamin Munna, midfielders Anik, Shahed, Habibur Rahman Shohag, Sohel Rana, Jamal Hossain, Shariful Islam, strikers Sohel Rana, Wahed Ahmed and Abdul Malek are the mentionable ones in the 50-member squad.

Most of the players picked for the initial squad are sitting idle in the professional league and hardly get places in the starting eleven for their respective clubs. The training could have easily been arranged with those players much before but there was no such attempt from BFE