Technical director or touchline boss? Titu’s dual role questioned

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is facing intense backlash over a chaotic coaching strategy that has seen Technical Director Saiful Bari Titu repeatedly abandon his structural duties to sit in the dugout, culminating in a flawed AFC Under-17 Women's Asian Cup qualification campaign in Uzbekistan.
Appointed on 1 April 2024, Titu was to create a long-term plan for Bangladesh football, focusing on academies, grassroots development, and coach education. However, he has often taken charge of teams, raising concerns about whether this affects his main responsibilities.
The controversy deepened as the under-17 women’s team returned from Tashkent on Tuesday. Despite months of preparation, Titu was appointed manager shortly before the tournament, following a disappointing tour in Jordan that revealed tactical and fitness issues.
Junior Tigresses opened their qualifying campaign with a spirited 2-1 victory over hosts Uzbekistan on 8 October, but a subsequent defeat to the Philippines ended their hopes of progressing.
Experienced local coach Golam Rabbani Choton, meanwhile, travelled as an assistant, while the technical director took charge.
It was not Titu’s first such assignment. His stint with the boys’ under-17 team at the SAFF Under-17 Championship in Bhutan in late 2024 ended without a win.
On 23 July 2025, he was also appointed head coach of the men’s under-23 national team.
Former Bangladesh international Zahid Hasan Ameli strongly criticised the arrangement, questioning why the federation continued to bypass local coaches.
“It is completely illogical and entirely unacceptable,” Ameli told Daily Sun. “A technical director’s job is not to act as the head coach for age-group teams, senior teams or any specific side. His job is to provide a comprehensive football plan for the federation over the next two, three or five years.”
Ameli also questioned the value of coaching licences if qualified coaches were not trusted with national age-group teams.
Kamrul Hasan Hilton, chairman of the BFF Technical Committee, admitted he had reservations about Titu’s involvement.
“I did voice my disagreement over his travel because he has other significant responsibilities,” Hilton said. He added that regulations did not explicitly prevent Titu from coaching youth teams, although he believed the technical director should not be taking on such duties.
Hilton said the federation was working to improve coaching standards under the BFF president Tabith Awal, but acknowledged that developing quality coaches would take time.
Despite criticism and a lack of accountability after repeated tournament exits, the federation shows no signs of change. The technical director's part-time coaching roles have left the future development of Bangladesh football neglected.