Premier League after election

The upcoming Bangladesh Premier League has been pushed back to January next year owing to December's parliamentary elections across the country even though the football season will continue through the Independence Cup.

The top-tier professional football league was scheduled to get underway from November 30 while the Independence Cup was scheduled to be held in between the league fixtures, following the European format. However, the professional football league committee backtracked from its decision after the participating clubs appealed to defer the league citing general elections.

“Due to demand of the participating clubs, we have pushed back the league and we will hold a week after the completion of general elections as the team will have to travel with their foreign players across the country. However, we have brought forward the Independence Cup which is starting from Nov 30,” informed BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag.

The 12-team league is expected to be held in eight separate venues for the first time even though Sheikh Russel KC have withdrawn its venue from Chittagong and are preferring to play in either Dhaka or Cox's Bazar.