The Bangladesh Football Federation has postponed the start of the Bangladesh Football League and Federation Cup after several clubs reportedly requested more time to prepare for the new season.
The BFL is now expected to begin on September 18, while the Federation Cup is scheduled to start on September 22. The player registration window will remain open until September 3, a Bangladesh Football Federation League Committee official confirmed the changes to TIMES of Bangladesh on Friday.
The revised dates represent a change from the BFF’s earlier position. On August 17, federation president Tabith Awal had said the BFF still intended to begin the Federation Cup and league according to the original schedule, with the competitions due to start on August 25 and 28 respectively.
The decision comes as clubs continue to deal with preparations for the new season. Bashundhara Kings, Abahani Limited and Fakirerpool Young Men’s Club have faced FIFA transfer bans and other registration issues, while several other clubs had yet to complete their pre-season preparations.
The national team’s upcoming programme has also added to the scheduling concerns. Bangladesh are expected to begin a national team camp later this month, with the September international window to follow. The BFF had previously said the extended transfer window would allow clubs to register players even after the domestic season began.
The new schedule should give clubs additional time to complete squad building and preparations before competitive action begins.
However, the BFF intends for the domestic competitions to continue during national team camps once the league gets underway. Clubs will therefore have to manage their league commitments without players called up for international duty.
The postponement also provides additional time for clubs still working to resolve FIFA sanctions and complete their licensing and registration requirements. Bashundhara Kings, in particular, have been dealing with multiple transfer bans as they prepare for the new campaign.
