On 20 December 2001, Sultan replaced the elected body of the BFF led by general secretary, Harunur Rashid, with an ad-hoc committee.
[6] Eventually, Rashid resigned alleged to have been forced by Sultan who remained in the president's seat after being unopposed in the 26 April 2003 BFF elections.
[9][10][11] Sultan's reign did see some success, with Bangladesh winning the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup as hosts and the introduction of the first professional national league, the B.League, in 2007.
[12] Under Sultan's regime, Bangladesh also hosted the 2006 AFC Challenge Cup, the biggest football tournament to have taken place in the country.
[16] Nonetheless, despite facing heavy criticism for his previous decision to reign, along with numerous disputes with journalists, Sultan remained as BFF president until the 2008 elections.