The National Football Championship, which kicked off on 30 October in Munshiganj, finally concluded this Saturday after nearly three months of intense fixtures, logistical struggles and organisational challenges. The opening match saw hosts Munshiganj take on the visiting Madaripur district team. Although the beginning was smooth, the journey soon turned into one of the most demanding football events Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has ever managed.
For the first time, the championship followed a home-and-away format involving all 64 districts. However, this created major complications. Many districts lacked a playable football ground, forcing the BFF National Championship Committee, led by Vice President Wahid Uddin Chowdhury Happy, to shift a large number of matches to neutral venues. Despite such adversity, the tournament, involving over 2,000 footballers and more than 150 matches, progressed successfully and ultimately drew praise from players, officials and spectators alike.
Only the semi-finals and final were staged at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Sipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur. Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan inaugurated the final, while BFF President Tabith Awal attended the award ceremony alongside senior officials.
Speaking to reporters after the prize distribution, Tabith Awal said:
“This tournament had countless challenges, but we managed to revive many abandoned grounds and bring competitive football back to several districts. That is a major achievement for us.”
Districts such as Madaripur and Barishal had long suffered from neglected stadiums that were barely usable, yet through this championship football returned to those venues, restoring local enthusiasm.
The BFF also revealed its future plans for players scouted from the tournament. The federation intends to bring top performers under their elite academy programme. Tabith further confirmed that the District League will be launched soon:
“The players will get more opportunities to prove themselves, and this will strengthen the pipeline for our national team.”
Youth and Sports Adviser Sajib Bhuiyan also praised the organisers, saying:
“This is a significant achievement for BFF. Now the aim should be to expand this championship further and discover even more talent.”
Addressing concerns about the lack of a dedicated football stadium in Bangladesh, Sports Ministry Secretary Mahbubul Alam reassured:
“A separate stadium for football is essential, and we already have plans for such a facility in Purbachal. Projects of this scale naturally take two to three years to complete.”
The final saw Dinajpur defeat Sirajganj 3–2 in a dramatic encounter, capturing their first-ever championship title. The match was attended by members of the National Championship Committee and several BFF executive members, adding grandeur to the closing ceremony.
Ultimately, this year’s National Football Championship proved that despite infrastructure shortages and organisational hurdles, Bangladeshi football can deliver large-scale, nationwide competitions with success and ambition.
