Bangladesh Football Federation

History

Main article: Football in Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) was officially founded on July 15, 1972. Md. Yousuf Ali, the former Minister for Education and Cultural Affairs, established the federation; he also served as its first president. The general secretary under Ali was Abul Hashem of Wari Club. The BFF quickly sought international legitimacy, gaining membership in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1973 and became member in FIFA in 1976. It later became one of the founding members of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) in 1997.

Through the FIFA Goal Project, the federation secured the necessary resources to construct a dedicated headquarters. On 10 April 2005, AFC President Mohammed bin Hammam inaugurated the BFF Bhaban, the Federation's FIFA-financed office in Motijheel, Dhaka.

International football

In 1973, the federation sent the first national team to the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia. In 1978, Dhaka hosted the 1978 AFC Youth Championship, the first major football tournament to take place in the country. In 1980, Bangladesh made its first and only appearance to date in the AFC Asian Cup. The nation's best results came at South Asian level where it won the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup and were gold medalists at the 1999 South Asian Games. Under the federation's management, the Bangladesh women's national team won the SAFF Women's Championship in 2022 and 2024, marking a shift in the federation's focus toward gender inclusivity and grassroots development.

Domestic football

The BFF immediately took over the Dhaka Football League, which had existed since 1948 but was halted during the conflict. In 1993, the federation restructured the domestic football pyramid by creating the Dhaka Premier Division League as the top-tier competition, replacing the old First Division, which in turn became the second-tier. It innaugurated the Independence Cup in 1972, which became the first football competition held after the Independence of Bangladesh.

From 1975 to 1982, the BFF operated the Aga Khan Gold Cup, an invitational club cup competition, often regarded as the predecessor of the AFC Champions League. It was shut-down following the introduction of the President's Gold Cup in 1981, which was also replaced by the Bangabandhu Cup in 1996.

The BFF launched the Federation Cup in 1980, a knockout club cup tournament that grew to be the country's top national cup competition.

By the early-2000s, the BFF faced growing pressure from AFC to modernize its league structure, which was largely centered around Dhaka clubs. In response to the AFC's Vision Asia initiative, the federation began the change the process of transitioning from a regional amateur setup to a national system. It first introduced the National League in 2000, which, although it functioned outside the domestic league pyramid, granted clubs eligibility to participate in AFC club competitions a right that the Premier Division clubs of the Dhaka Football League lost following the turn of the century.

The transition concluded in 2007 with the launch of the B. League, currently the Bangladesh Football League, which replaced the old Dhaka focused league with a professional national competition. In 2012, the BFF launched the second-tier professional national league, the Bangladesh Championship League, which saw the regional Dhaka Football League make up the third, fourth and fifth-tiers of the country's football league pyramid.

In 2009, it launched the Super Cup tournament, with a prize money of Tk1 million. In 2013, the prize money for winning the competition was Tk10 million. In the inaugural competition, Mohammedan SC beat arch-rivals Abahani Limited Dhaka.

Criticism

FIFA ban (2002)

On 26 November 2001, Sultan, a member of the BNP-led coalition government, was appointed as BFF president, replacing AM Azizul Haque, who had been initially elected by the previous Caretaker government. On 20 December 2001, Sultan replaced the elected body of the BFF which was led by general secretary, Harunur Rashid, with an ad-hoc committee. On 10 January 2002, FIFA banned the BFF for violating FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) laws that only recognize a democratically elected committee to run a member's football authority. The ban was lifted on 11 February 2002, after the original elected committee was reinstated. 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.

FIFA sanctions (2023–2024)

On 14 April 2023, FIFA issued a two year ban to the BFF general secretary, Abu Nayeem Shohag. A FIFA report revealed that Shohag had made quotations and unauthorized signatures to facilitate payments for items such as footballs, grass cutting machinery, and air travel for the national team. He was found guilty of breaching several provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics, also regarding the duty of loyalty, general duties.

The investigation was expanded in May 2024, leading to more sanctions against four other high ranking officials. Former chief financial officer Abu Hossain and Operations Manager Mizanur Rahman each received two year bans and fines for their involvement in transactions supported by falsified documents. Abdus Salam Murshedy, the senior vice-president and chairman of the finance committee, was also fined for administrative carelessness works and failing to provide proper financial report, while procurement officer Imrul Hasan Sharif received a warning and was ordered to undergo compliance training.

Executive Committee Board

Board of directors

Presidents

Technical director

Competitions

Men's club competitions

Competitions currently run by BFF:

Other competitions

Competitions currently run by BFF:

Defunct

Competitions previously run by BFF:

Stadiums

Main article: List of football stadiums in Bangladesh

• National Stadium, Dhaka
• BSSS Mostafa Kamal Stadium, Dhaka
• MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong
• Sylhet District Stadium, Sylhet
• Shamsul Huda Stadium' Jessore
• Rajshahi District Stadium, Rajshahi
• Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium, Rajshahi
• Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani Stadium, Gopalgonj
• Shaheed Salam Stadium, Feni
• Mymensingh Stadium, Mymensingh
• Shaheed Dhirendranath Stadium, Comilla
• Shaheed Bulu Stadium, Noakhali
• Sheikh Kamal Stadium, Nilphamari
• Bangladesh Army Stadium, Dhaka
• Munshigonj Stadium, Munshiganj
• Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master Stadium, Gazipur
• Bashundhara Kings Arena, Dhaka

Official partners

Between 2000 and 2005, Nitol-Tata, the sole distributor of Tata vehicles in Bangladesh, served as the primary official sponsor for the federation's national league. Following a period of fluctuating commercial interest, the BFF secured a record-breaking sponsorship deal in April 2008 with the mobile phone operator Citycell. The agreement was valued at BDT 165 million (approximately US$2.28 million) over a three-year period, representing the largest financial commitment in the history of Bangladeshi football sponsorship at the time.

In 2010, the federation entered into a multi-year contract with Grameenphone, the country's leading telecommunications provider, to sponsor various domestic tournaments and the Super Cup. After the conclusion of the Grameenphone deal, Nitol-Tata returned as the official sponsor for the 2013–14 season in a one-year agreement valued at US$70,000. On 13 March 2022, the federation diversified its commercial portfolio by signing a two-year agreement with the brand Pusti to serve as the official beverage partner.

In early 2025, following the election of Tabith Awal as president, the federation initiated a marketing overhaul aimed at securing long-term financial stability through multi-year deals. On 15 March 2025, the BFF signed a five-year strategic partnership with United Commercial Bank (UCB), making it the title sponsor of the Bangladesh national men's football team. This agreement focuses on enhancing the team's competitiveness in international competitions and restoring the sport's popularity nationwide. The women's national team continues to receive support from Dhaka Bank, which has a long-standing association with the federation for the development of women's football and age-level training.

After a four-year period without an official kit manufacturer, the federation signed a two-year agreement with DOUR Sportswear on 11 February 2025. In May 2025, the Japan-based Molten Corporation became the official football partner under a three-year, committing to provide 2,000 professional footballs annually to the federation.

Domestic competitions are supported by various corporate entities. The 2024–25 Bangladesh Premier League is sponsored by United Health Care, a subsidiary of the United Group. The Federation Cup has historically been supported by the Bashundhara Group.

For grassroots and infrastructure progress, the BFF signed a ten-year agreement with the steel manufacturer BSRM in December 2025. As the official development partner, BSRM supports nationwide scouting and talent identification programs.

TikTok has announced a year-long partnership with the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), becoming the official Entertainment Partner of BFF. The collaboration aims to elevate football in Bangladesh, introduce creators into the football ecosystem, and expand the global presence of Bangladeshi football through TikTok's wider sports ecosystem.

Notes

References

References

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