Bashundhara Kings defender Saad Uddin’s six-month suspension has been cut down to just four matches by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) disciplinary committee.
Saad was banned on May 16 for assaulting the match commissioner during the May 2 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match between Bashundhara Kings and Abahani. The ban was given under Clause 45 of the BFF code, which usually carries a minimum six-month punishment for such offenses.
However, on Monday, the BFF disciplinary committee reduced the punishment after reviewing a petition submitted by Saad. He did not file a formal appeal, but the petition was enough for the committee to look into the matter again.
As a result, Saad will now serve a 22-day ban, which will end on May 24. He has already missed three matches, and will miss one more on May 24. That means he will be able to play again in the Kings’ final BPL match on May 29.
According to BFF General Secretary Emran Hossain, the decision was made based on Saad’s review request. There are reports that the upcoming Asian Cup Qualifier between Bangladesh and Singapore on June 10 may have influenced the decision, as the national team may want Saad available.
Another source said the ban might have been a mistake from the start. The chairman of the disciplinary committee had reportedly mixed up the six-month ban with a six-match ban when announcing the punishment.
In the end, Saad was punished under a different part of the rule (Clause 45, Article 1.A), which allows for a minimum four-match suspension for bad behavior toward match officials — a lighter punishment than the one for physical assault.