Koly ban row may head to NSC as BOA talks fail

The Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) is considering introducing formal agreements with athletes receiving International Olympic Committee (IOC) scholarships following recent developments involving national shooters.

Shooter Shaira Arefin, who has been training under an IOC scholarship, informed BOA on Wednesday that she intends to withdraw midway from the programme. Her decision has left the association disappointed.

BOA Secretary General Jobaidur Rahman Rana said, “We are very disappointed with Shaira Arefin’s actions. In the future, athletes receiving scholarships will have to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Otherwise, such incidents may recur.”

Meanwhile, controversy continues over the one-year ban imposed on national shooter Kamrun Nahar Koly by the Bangladesh Shooting Sport Federation (BSSF). BOA had called a meeting on Wednesday to resolve the issue and discuss the possibility of withdrawing the ban. 

However, BSSF General Secretary Aleya Ferdousi did not attend, causing the meeting to end without any decision. Koly was present, while coach Sharmin Akter attended on behalf of the federation.

Jobaidur Rahman expressed frustration over the absence of the federation’s General Secretary. “I believe Aleya Ferdousi is trying to avoid the meeting. We will attempt to sit again to resolve the matter. If that does not happen, we will have no option but to approach the National Sports Council (NSC), which is the guardian body of the federation,” he said.

Speaking about the meeting, Koly said BOA advised her to submit a formal letter to the NSC regarding the allegations of code of conduct violations brought against her.

“The federation claims I violated rules by making internal matters public. But the reality is that the NSC investigation committee verified the truth of my allegations, and the accused individual was relieved from his position by the government. If my complaints were false, action could have been taken against me. Instead, my actions helped remove an offender. So why should I be banned?” Koly said.

She confirmed that she will soon appeal to the NSC to withdraw her suspension.

“Signing agreements does not mean we cannot speak against injustice. An athlete’s career is short. I am at the peak of my performance, yet I am forced to stay out of competition. I want this crisis resolved quickly so I can return to shooting,” she added.

The ongoing dispute has intensified concerns over governance and athlete rights within Bangladesh’s shooting community.