Frenzy for Zidane in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Nov 6 (Reuters) Cash offers are flooding into the Bangladesh Football Federation from fans desperate for a brush with visiting French soccer great Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane, who retired from the sport after being sent off in the World Cup final earlier this year for his infamous head-butt to the chest of an Italian opponent, arrives in the soccer-crazy country later today for a three-day visit.

''Frankly speaking, we are getting many strange proposals from people for Zidane,'' Anwarul Haque, the general secretary of BFF, told Reuters.

They include one from a clothing manufacturer who offered two million taka (30,000 dollar) for Zidane if he would become a model for one of his products -- a male wraparound which reaches down to the ankles.

Another man offered the BFF 100,000 taka if it could get an autograph of Zidane for his child.

Zidane is in Dhaka to open a new non profit-making food plant run by microfinancing institution Grameen Bank and French food giant Danone to provide cheap, nutritous food.

The Frenchman was invited to Bangladesh by Grameen Bank founder and Nobel peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus.

REUTERS AY BST1454