• Born in 1954, 23rd September
• Educated at BAF Shaheen School, Dhaka College and Dhaka University
Kazi Md Salahuddin is a Bangladeshi renowned former football player. He is the President of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). He was a member of the Shadhin Bangla Football Team, the team which played across India to raise funds during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Kazi Salahuddin is the first player from the Country to play in the professional league in Hong Kong and considered to be one of Bangladesh's most famous football players. He was also the member of Bangladesh National Football Team from 1972 to 1984.
Kazi Md Salahuddin was born on 23rd September 1954 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Kazi Md Salahuddin enrolled in BAF Shaheen School & College and became involved in athletics there. While Kazi Salahuddin was in seventh grade, he was selected for his school football team and was the youngest member of his team. In 1968, Kazi Salahuddin started playing cricket for Azad Boys in the Premier division cricket league. Later that year, he joined the second division football club, Dilkusha Club, at the request of his sports teacher. Following a troublesome period, Dilkusha Club won the championship that season and was promoted to the premiership. The next year, Mr Salahuddin left the Dilkusha Club to join Wari Club, which was a renowned club during that period. Eventually he decided to step down from Cricket and refused a call from the national squad. In 1970, he joined Mohammedan Sporting Club as a Professional Football Player, the leading club of East Pakistan. Mohamedan Sporting Club was the main rival of Abahani Limited Dhaka, the club that he spent most of his career.
At the start of 1971, Kazi Salahuddin went to West Pakistan to play in the regional championship for Dhaka. After the tournament he was called to join the camp for the Pakistan national football team. He came back to Dhaka on 20 March but was only in the country for five days when a planned military pacification carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in erstwhile East Pakistan called Operation Searchlight started. His family wanted him to go to London as Kazi Md Salahuddin wanted to take part in the Bangladesh Liberation War. His father agreed and he crossed the border to reach Agartala where he joined the training camp for the guerilla soldiers. In 1971, he heard about Shadhin Bangla Football Team, a team of Bangladeshi football players who played in India to raise money and awareness about the war, from a photo journalist. The journalist, from Kolkata, convinced him to play for the team and explained to him the importance about growing public support for the war. Kazi Md Salahuddin decided to play and went to Kolkata on a Cargo Plane of the Indian Air Force. In Kolkata, he met with many of his teammates from Dhaka and played his first match for the team against Mohun Bagan, a team from Kolkata. He carried on playing in different parts of India with his team to raise money and create public support for Bangladesh.
Following the independence of Bangladesh, Kazi Salahuddin came back to the country. Sheikh Kamal - Son of Father of the Nation Bagabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman asked him to join the newly formed Abahani Limited Dhaka, he joined Abahani Limited Dhaka which later became one of the major clubs in Bangladesh. Later he stayed at the club for the most of his remaining career. Kazi Salahuddin won Dhaka League title with the sky blues in 1974, 1977, 1981, 1983, and 1984. In 1984, at the peak of his form, Kazi Salahuddin decided to retire from football.
Kazi Salahuddin made his International debut in football at Malaysia in 1973 at the Merdeka Cup. In 1975 he accepted the proposal to play at the Hong Kong League. There he played for Caroline Hill FC for one season. He came back after playing a solitaire season and rejoined Abahani Limited Dhaka.
He is one of the top goal scorers for Bangladesh in the international arena. In 1984, at the peak of his form, Kazi Salahuddin decided to retire from football.
After retiring from football, Kazi Salahuddin has entered into a new chapter of his career. He became the manager of Abahani in 1985. Under his leadership Abahani crowned as title holder of 1985 Senior Division Football League. Salahuddin also became the manager of Bangladesh Football Team in that year. Salahuddin coached Abahani till 1987. In 1988, Salahuddin took charge as Head coach of Bangladesh National Football Team in the Asian Cup football qualifying round in Abu Dhabi. After some days break, Kazi Salahuddin became the Abahani coach again in 1992. In 1994 Kazi Salahuddin resigned from Abahani as coach and joined Muktijoddha FC. Muktijoddha was the last club of his career as coach.
He became Vice President of the Bangladesh Football Federation in 2003 and subsequently became chairman of the National Team Management Committee. In 2008 Kazi Md Salahuddin elected as the president of Bangladesh Football Federation. After getting elected in BFF, he secured BDT 16,00,00,000 (equivalent to USD 22,85,714 appx) for three years from a multinational Mobile Operator Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited (Citycell) for three years as Sponsorship Money for Bangladesh Football Federation, which is a record in the Football Sponsorship money securing in the history of Bangladesh Football. Kazi Md Salahuddin elected as President the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) on 3rd October 2009. He got reelected as the President of Bangladesh Football Federation in 2012. He got reelected unopposed for SAFF President in 2014 again. Kazi Md Salahuddin was also selected as the member of FIFA Technical Committee, FIFA Marketing & TV Rights Committee and also Social Responsibility Committee and Internal Audit Committee of AFC. He is a member of AFC Competition Committee from 2019 to 2027. He reelected unopposed SAFF President in 2018 for the term of 2018-2022. He has reelected as the president of Bangladesh Football Federation for the term of 2020-2024 and in 2022 has reelected unopposed as the SAFF President for the term of 2022-2026.
Independence Day Award also termed Independence Award / Swashinata Padak / Swadhinata Puroskar is the highest state award given by the Government of Bangladesh. He has received the ‘Bangladesh Independence Day’ Award in the year of 1996. He has received the Sheikh Kamal National Sports Council Award-2021 as Life Time Achievement for his contribution to the field of Sports.