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Fixers let off the hook?

Sports Reporter
While match-fixing is considered one of the major obstacles to the
country's football development, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) itself is seemingly trying to safeguard those teams who allegedly played fixed matches in the just concluded professional football league.
After more than two months of investigation into the alleged fixed match between Brothers Union and Rahmatganj MFS, the Fixed-match Identification Committee is yet to submit its report, citing that they still haven't got the expert opinion to complete the final report.
But it has been learnt that the committee is delaying submission of the report due to pressure from the BFF high-ups, who are allegedly trying to get both teams off the hook by influencing the committee members and experts.
There are whispers in the BFF headquarters that there is huge pressure on the BFF high-ups from Bothers Union's general secretary Mahiuddin Mahi, who is also the general secretary of Dhaka City Awami Jubo
League (South).
It has also been learnt that one powerful BFF official has asked the football expert, who is assigned to give his opinion into the report, to just sign the report which has been prepared by them without the help of the expert.
Denying any influence either on the committee or the expert by the BFF high-ups, Abdus Salam Murshedy, senior vice president and chairman of the professional league committee, said, “We heard such rumours last time too before we punished Sheikh Jamal and Rahmatganj. But in reality, there is no such influence or pressure from us either on the committee or the expert. The federation is more transparent this time and has healthy environment and I am expecting to give you the report within this week."
The Fixed-match Identification Committee had earlier said that they had already singled out some important points of that alleged match and were waiting for the expert opinion in an attempt to submit a neutral and acceptable report to all.
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Brothers have allegedly given away three points to RahmatganjMFSlosingO-4just before the BFF polls in April to lure the Rahmatganj voters. While the first allegation against Brothers is yet to be proved, the Gopibagh-based outfit allegedly played another fixed-match at the fag end of the league, this time against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club to avoid relegation. However, the BFF has taken the second allegation into consideration, but is yet to launch any investigation
into that match.
With Rahmatganj MFS (nine points) and Farashganj SC (18 points) already relegated from the professional league finishing in eleventh and tenth positions respectively, Brothers, who finished seventh with 24 points, might still go down if they are proved to have played fixed matches against Rashmatganj as they will lose six points from their secured points. That scenario will call for a play-off between Brothers and Farashganj to decide the second club for
relegation, as per bylaws.
But then if the second allegation against Brothers is found out to be true, then they will surely be relegated as they would lose nine points while Farashganj will survive the drop.
If the allegations of Brothers's playing fixed matches with Sheikh Jamal and Rahmatganj are indeed proved, it will be a warning for the country's football, as it will show that a third team has now joined the proven duo of the sinners from last year.