Bangladesh Football Federation has dismissed English head coach Gerard Jones a day before the national Under-20 team was due to leave for Uzbekistan for the AFC Under-20 Asian Cup qualifiers. A reliable BFF source confirmed the decision. Assistant coach Atikur Rahman Mishu will take charge of the team for the time being as Bangladesh travel under changed circumstances.

The team’s tour and camp had faced recent turmoil, including internal disputes in the dressing room and camp, incidents involving police, and controversy surrounding the coach’s role. The source said Jones’s relationship with the federation had deteriorated. During the camp in Jashore, Jones publicly complained on social media about unpaid wages and inadequate security.

Jones later became involved in a physical altercation with Mishu at the team hotel in Dhaka and called police through the emergency number 999. He also alleged in a Facebook Live broadcast that he had been physically attacked and faced serious security shortcomings. A scheduled 4pm press conference was postponed, with BFF saying a new time would be announced. The qualifiers will run in Uzbekistan from August 31 to September 6, involving Bangladesh, India, Uzbekistan and Syria.