Despite technical difficulties and fan frustration during online ticket sales for Bangladesh’s recent home matches, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has announced it will continue with the online system for upcoming fixtures against Hong Kong and India.
BFF technical committee member Tajwar Awal confirmed the decision at a press conference on Sunday, acknowledging the issues fans faced while purchasing tickets online and entering the stadium during this month’s FIFA friendly against Bhutan and Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore, both held at the National Stadium in Dhaka.
“Fans went through a lot of hassle in buying tickets online and in entering the venue,” Tajwar said. “However, we will stick with the online ticketing system for our next home matches—against Hong Kong on 9 October and India on 18 November.”
The Singapore match on 10 June sparked immense public interest, with over 21,000 tickets sold online out of a total stadium capacity of 23,300. However, the online system, run by ticketing partner Tickify, crashed multiple times, which both the BFF and the company blamed on a cyber attack caused by excessive traffic.
“We had a capacity crowd for the Singapore match and nearly full attendance for the Bhutan game on 4 June—the first matches at the stadium in over four years,” Tajwar said following a meeting of the BFF technical committee. “The public response was overwhelming. We’ve identified the errors and are working on fixing them.”
He added that the BFF still believes online ticketing is the right direction and intends to streamline the process. While the Federation has not yet decided whether to retain Tickify or appoint a new vendor, it remains committed to refining the system.
“We want to ensure smooth transactions for ticket buyers,” he said.
Tajwar also addressed complaints about gate entry and viewing conditions, noting that the BFF is consulting with vendors and the National Sports Council to improve the fan experience.
In a separate development, he revealed that the Federation had shelved its plan to replace the grass on the pitch, citing concerns about preparing a new surface in time for the October and November fixtures.
He further stated that the expenses for hosting the Bhutan and Singapore matches had been covered by ticket revenue, though he did not disclose whether the BFF made any profit.