Dhaka: Bangladeshi authorities have arrested a senior member of football's world governing body FIFA for allegedly defaming the country's prime minister. Mahfuza Akhter Kiron, a FIFA Council member, was detained after she had said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was neglecting football, the BBC reported on Sunday.

A defamation claim was then filed by a local sport official, alleging that the comments embarrassed the entire nation. On Saturday, Kiron was denied bail and sent to jail, her lawyer said.