The former national skipper alleged that the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata denied visa to Ghanaian defender Yaro Osumanu yesterday. Osumanu was supposed to arrive in Bangladesh to finalise contract details with Abahani for playing in the coming Federation Cup and the Premier Division football league.

Talking to a group of reporters at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday, Munna said that he had gone to Kolkata last week to bring Osumanu to Dhaka. The Ghanian had flown all the way to the Indian city to get a visa at the suggestion of Abahani as his country doesn't have a Bangladesh Mission. This is a common practice in the recruitment procedure of foreign players whose countries don't house a Bangladeshi consulate.

After reaching a verbal agreement with Osumanu, Munna took him to the Deputy High Commi-ssion on September 29. But they surprisingly refused to issue a visa saying that Ghanaians are not encouraged to visit Bangladesh .

When Munna argued that two Ghanaian footballers -- Charles Ghansha and Kennedy were already playing in Bangladesh, the Deputy High Commission received the visa form with Osumanu's passport and asked them to inquire in 20 days as they had to send the papers to the Home Ministry in Bangladesh for clearance.

Apprehensive of the consequences the long delay could bring, Munna again went to the Bangladesh Mission the next day and met first secretary Abul Hashem.

According to Munna, Hashem assured him that the visa would be issued the next day.

As Munna had already booked his return ticket home for Tuesday afternoon, he instructed Osumanu to report to the Deputy High Commission on Wednesday (October 1) morning. "But Osumanu called me today and informed that his passport was returned without any visa being issued. Now you tell me what I should do? Said a visibly disturbed Munna.

Munna said that his club expected a prompt response from the BFF and also sought help from the State Minister for Youth and Sports Fazlur Rahman.

"I have already talked to the BFF general secretary Anwarul Haq Helal and he has assured me that the problem would be solved as soon as possible. This is just one of many incidents of harassment Abahani has been subjected to recently as they try to form a strong football squad," said Munna adding that his team might even boycott all local competitions if Osumanu wasn't granted visa.

Interestingly, this was the second such major incidence of Abahani being victimised by the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata. Last month Indian hockey superstar Dhanaraj Pillay, who was due to play in the Premier League's title deciding match for Abahani against Mohammedan Sporting Club, was denied visa under mysterious circumstances.