Dhaka’s Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium has entered a new chapter as renovation work begins to replace its ageing blue turf, eleven years after it first went down.
The Bangladesh Hockey Federation pushed the upgrade as part of a wider plan to revive the sport nationally. Recent success at youth level has sharpened that focus.
Years of constant use drained the life from the current surface. The stadium now prepares for a long-overdue reset.
Hockey Federation general secretary Lt Col Riazul Hasan (Retd) confirmed the process moved forward through government channels. “Since the stadium falls under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, we submitted the full budget as required towards the end of 2025, and they have started the work accordingly.”
He explained why replacement became unavoidable. “Every pitch has a lifespan, and over time the quality drops. This pitch has been in use for 11 years, so installing a new one will make it easier to improve the standard of play.”
Work has already started inside the stadium complex. Heavy machinery now replaces memories of the old blue turf.
Timelines remain unclear because the ministry controls the project. “As the ministry oversees the entire process, we cannot specify an exact completion date, but we hope the work finishes quickly.”
The current surface went down in February 2014 at a cost of 400,000 US dollars. The federation itself contributed 75,000 dollars alongside international support.
Players and supporters now wait for the next surface to arrive. They believe smoother turf can help Bangladesh hockey rediscover its old rhythm and carry the red and green back onto the global stage.
