The Bangladesh Football League (BFL) () is the top tier of the Bangladeshi football league system. It is run by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). The Dhaka derby between Dhaka Abahani and Mohammedan is one of the league's most popular matches.
The BFL superseded the Dhaka Premier Division League, which had functioned as the top tier from 1948 to 2006. The league name was changed from Bangladesh Premier League to Bangladesh Football League in 2025 because the spelling clashed with the similarly named cricket league.
History Origins Before the establishment of the professional football league, the semi-professional Dhaka Premier Division League functioned as Bangladesh's top-tier competition from 1993 onward. Prior to that, the Dhaka First Division League (relegated to second-tier status in 1993) was the country's highest level of football from 1948, following the partition of India and even before Bangladesh's independence. Historically, the Dhaka Football League consisted of three-tiers, with the Pioneer Football League introduced in 1981 as a fourth tier. A separate Fourth Division also briefly existed within the Dhaka League system between 1966 and 1969.
From 2000 to 2006, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) operated the National Football League, the first nationwide open competition. However, despite its national scope, it was considered less prestigious than the regional Dhaka Premier Division League, which remained officially recognized as the top tier until 2007.
Professional league
Founded in 2007 as Bangladesh's first professional national football league, the Bangladesh Football League (BFL) was initially launched as the B.League. It was renamed the Bangladesh League in 2009 and rebranded as the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in 2012. In 2025, the competition adopted its current name.
The first league match took place on 2 March 2007 between Dhaka Abahani and Muktijoddha Sangsad KC at the National Stadium in Dhaka, ending in a goalless draw. The next day in Khulna, Prashanta Dey scored the first goal in the history of professional football in the country as Khulna Abahani blanked the capital side Rahmatganj MFS 2–0. On 27 March 2007, Alfaz Ahmed netted the first hat trick in B League history to give Muktijoddha a 4–1 win over Rahmatganj.
Dhaka Abahani has won the league a record six times since 2007. In the 2015–16 season, Dhaka Abahani also became the first team to win the professional league title with an unbeaten record. In the 2023–24 season, Bashundhara Kings became the first team to win five consecutive league titles.
The league was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a limited program of matches was in place through 2021. On 12 February 2022, it was announced that the league would return to its normal home-and-away format.
Structure
Competition format Competition There are 10 clubs in the BFL as of the 2025–26 season. During the course of a season (from September to April), each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for 18 games. The winning team in a match shall be awarded 3 points, with the losing team receiving no points. If the match ends in a draw, each team shall receive 1 point. The number of goals scored and conceded by each team shall also be recorded.
At the end of the season, the ranking of teams shall be determined first by the total number of points won.
In situations where 2 teams are equal on points for the champion or bottom positions, a playoff shall be held. Both teams shall play one home and one away match. If the teams remain level on points after the second leg, extra time of two periods of 15 minutes each shall be played as part of the second-leg match. If still tied after extra time, kicks from the penalty mark shall determine the winner. The play-off match or matches shall be organized within 7 days of the last league match.
In situations where more than 2 teams are tied on points for the champion or bottom positions, their rankings shall be determined in the following order: Greater number of points obtained in league matches between the tied teams; Goal difference from league matches between the tied teams; Greater number of goals scored in league matches between the tied teams; Goal difference in all league matches; Fewer disciplinary points based on yellow and red cards (Yellow Card = 1 point; Two Yellows leading to Red = 2 points; Direct Red = 3 points; Yellow + Direct Red = 4 points); Toss of a coin.
For all other league positions, if teams are equal on points, ranking shall be determined first by goal difference (goals scored minus goals conceded in all matches). If still equal, the team with the greater number of goals scored shall rank higher. If still equal, the team with fewer disciplinary points (same card scoring system as above) shall rank higher. If still equal after all criteria, ranking shall be determined by a toss of a coin.
Promotion and relegation
A system of promotion and relegation has existed between the Bangladesh Football League and the Bangladesh Championship League since 2012. Each season, the two lowest-placed teams in the Bangladesh Football League are relegated to the second-tier professional league, the Championship League, while the top two teams from the Championship League are promoted to the top tier, only if they meet the BFF Club Licensing Regulations for the following season.
Before 2012, the winners of the Dhaka Senior Division League were expected to earn promotion to the professional league. However, Senior Division clubs were unable to obtain the necessary professional league licenses, which meant that promotion and relegation did not function consistently until the 2011–12 season. Notably, in 2009, the lone edition of the Bashundhara Club Cup Championship took place, with the champions and runners-up granted entry into the 2009–10 edition.
Relegation Summary EditionParticipantsRelegated positionsRelegated 1Relegated 2WithdrewRelegated to200711No relegation2008–091111thKhulna AbahaniNoneRegional League2009–101312th & 13thNarayanganj Suktara SangsadBeanibazar SCNoneRegional League20101211th & 12thChittagong MohammedanChittagong AbahaniNone2011–12 BCL2011–121110th & 11thFarashganj SCRahmatganj MFSNone2013 BCL2012–1399thArambagh KSNoneCox City FC2014 BCL2013–141010thUttar BaridharaNone2014–15 BCL2014–151111thFarashganj SCNone2015–16 BCL2015–161211th & 12thFeni SCUttar BaridharaNone2017 BCL2017–181212thFarashganj SCNoneFakirerpool YMC2018–19 BCL2018–191313thNoFeL SCTeam BJMCNone2019–20 BCL2019–2013Competition abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh2020–211312th & 13thArambagh KSBrothers UnionNone2019–20 BCL2021–221211th & 12thUttar BaridharaSwadhinata KSNone2022–23 BCL2022–231110th & 11thMuktijoddha Sangsad KCAFC UttaraSaif SC2023–24 BCL2023–2410No relegation2024–25109th & 10thDhaka WanderersChittagong AbahaniSheikh Jamal DC & Sheikh Russel KC2024–25 BCL2025–26109th & 10thArambagh KSFakirerpool YMCNone2026–27 BCLBold indicates that the club withdrew from participating in the second tier the following season.
Player regulations As of the 2025–26 season, each participating club is entitled to register a maximum of thirty-six players, including a minimum of three goalkeepers. Clubs may register up to five foreign players, with no more than three permitted on the pitch simultaneously. In addition, teams may register up to four SAARC players, all of whom are classified as local and eligible to play. The rules also require each club to include five age-level local players in its squad, with at least one mandated to appear in the starting eleven for every match. The season also saw the removal of the AFC player quota that had been implemented since 2018–19.
In both the 2023–24 season and the 2024–25 season, clubs were allowed to register up to a maximum of six foreign players. If a club registered more than five foreign players, then the sixth had to be from an Asian Football Confederation (AFC)-affiliated Member Association. Additionally, in the 2024–25 season, amidst political unrest, clubs were permitted to register a maximum of forty players, including foreign players. Between the 2018–19 and 2021–22 seasons, a maximum of four foreign players were allowed, with the fourth required to be from an AFC-affiliated Member Association.
In the 2010 season, the foreign quota was set at five players; however, after numerous national players were benched throughout the campaign, the Professional League Committee reduced the quota to four players from the 2011–12 season. The foreign quota was further reduced to three players from the 2014–15 season. In the 2015–16 season, clubs were allowed to register four foreign players, with three permitted on the pitch simultaneously. In the 2017–18 season, the quota was reduced back to three players; however, only two were eligible to play in a match at the same time.
Clubs Champions
+Wins by seasonsEdition Season Champions Runners–up Third place Ref.12007Dhaka AbahaniDhaka MohammedanMuktijoddha Sangsad KC22008–09Dhaka AbahaniDhaka MohammedanSheikh Russel KC32009–10Dhaka AbahaniDhaka MohammedanSheikh Russel KC42010Sheikh Jamal DCMuktijoddha Sangsad KCSheikh Russel KC52011–12Dhaka AbahaniMuktijoddha Sangsad KCDhaka Mohammedan62012–13Sheikh Russel KCSheikh Jamal DCDhaka Abahani72013–14Sheikh Jamal DCDhaka AbahaniMuktijoddha Sangsad KC82014–15Sheikh Jamal DCSheikh Russel KCDhaka Mohammedan92015–16Dhaka AbahaniChittagong AbahaniSheikh Russel KC10Dhaka AbahaniSheikh Jamal DCChittagong Abahani112018–19Bashundhara KingsDhaka AbahaniSheikh Russel KC122019–20Competition abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh132020–21Bashundhara KingsSheikh Jamal DCDhaka Abahani142021–22Bashundhara Kings Dhaka AbahaniSaif SC152022–23Bashundhara KingsDhaka AbahaniBangladesh Police162023–24Bashundhara Kings Dhaka Mohammedan Dhaka Abahani172024–25 Dhaka Mohammedan Dhaka Abahani Bashundhara Kings 182025–26 Bashundhara Kings Dhaka Abahani Fortis FC
ClubWinnerWinning seasons seasonsDhaka Abahani662007, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2015–16, 2017–182013–14, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2024–25, 2025–26Bashundhara Kings 62018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2025–26Sheikh Jamal DC332010–11, 2013–14, 2014–152012–13, 2017–18, 2020–21Mohammedan SC142024–252007, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2023–24Sheikh Russel KC112012–132014–15Muktijoddha SKC22010, 2011–12Chittagong Abahani12015–16 Italics indicate former champions of the Bangladesh Football League who are currently outside the competition.
2026–27 season
+The following 13 clubs will compete in the Bangladesh Football League during the 2026–27 seasonCurrent clubs Team District Stadium Location Capacity Founded Head coach Team captainArambagh KSDhakaGopalganj Old StadiumGopalganj5,0001958Bangladesh Police FCDhakaShaheed Barkat StadiumGazipur5,000 S. M. Asifuzzaman Manik Hossain MollaBashundhara KingsDhakaBashundhara Kings ArenaDhaka6,0002013 Bayazid Alam Zubair Nipu Topu BarmanBrothers UnionDhakaGopalganj Old StadiumGopalganj5,0001949 K.M. Zabid Hossain Jamal BhuyanDhaka AbahaniDhakaShaheed Dhirendranath Datta StadiumComilla18,0001972 Maruful Haque Assaduzzaman BabluChattogram CityChattogramMunshiganj StadiumMunshiganj10,0002010 Julio Moreno Rayneld-Franco Md Rasel HossainCity ClubDhakaShaheed Barkat StadiumGazipur5,0001972 Abdul Kayum Santu Apu AhmedDhaka Wanderers ClubDhakaChandpur StadiumChandpur10,0001937Fakirerpool YMCDhakaChandpur StadiumChandpur10,0001960 Sawpan Kumar Das Raficul IslamFortis FCDhakaShaheed Miraj–Tapan StadiumManikganj5,0002020 Masud Parvez Kaiser Pa Omar BabouDhaka MohammedanDhakaShaheed Dhirendranath Datta StadiumComilla18,0001936 Fernando Santiago VarelaPWD SCDhakaShaheed Miraj–Tapan StadiumManikganj5,0001954 Md Anwar Hossain Sumon Kumar DasRahmatganj MFSDhakaMunshiganj StadiumMunshiganj10,0001933 Kamal Babu
All-time BFL table