"Our president (Air Vice-Marshal Fakhrul Azam) now sympathises for Rana. We hope his life-ban will be lifted in the next executive meeting," said Shamsul Bari, general secretary of BHF.

The BHF had imposed the ban on the Abahani midfielder following his unruly act in the Club Cup tournament final against archrivals Mohammedan on June 26 in 2003 in presence of State Minister for Youth and Sports Fazlur Rahman and the BHF president himself.

Seeing this, Azam took a hard-line against the talented national midfielder. however, he finally changed his mind after Rana accepted the mistake and apologised.

Bari also informed that the federation would allow him two days to take part in the players' transfer for the upcoming Premier Division League once the ban had been withdrawn.