Bangladesh’s top-tier women’s football competition, the seventh Women’s Football League, is set to kick off on 15 December. To increase competitiveness in the matches, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has for the first time permitted teams to field foreign players.
According to BFF, each team will be allowed to include up to two foreign players in their squad. This move is aimed at ensuring that national team players face tougher competition ahead of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup to be held in Australia next year.
In the previous, sixth edition of the league, which concluded in May, only three top teams—Nasrin Sporting Club, Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan College Sporting Club (ARBCSC), and Bangladesh Army FC—played just three matches among themselves. Learning from the limited competitive experience of that edition, BFF has now decided to organise the league on a larger scale to provide more challenging and structured competition.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Mahfuza Akter Kiran, Chairperson of BFF’s Women’s Football Committee, said that a total of 13 clubs have expressed interest in participating in the league. Of the nine clubs from last season, seven (excluding ARBCSC) have already applied for club licensing. In addition, six new clubs, including Bangladesh Ansar, Bangladesh Police FC, BKSP, Rajshahi Star, and a few others, have submitted their applications.
Kiran added: “So far, 13 clubs have applied for licensing. The First Instance Body has already begun the process, and licences will be issued on Saturday. If all clubs meet the requirements, the league can be held with all 13 teams.”
She further noted: “Once the licensing process is complete, the transfer window will open this month. To increase competitiveness and provide a more challenging environment for national team players, each team has been permitted to recruit two foreign players.”
The league is initially planned to follow a single round-robin format, though BFF officials indicated that it could shift to a double-leg format if sufficient sponsorship is secured.
Matches are expected to be held at either the Bir Sreshtho Shahid Mostafa Kamal Stadium or the Bangladesh National Stadium, according to BFF officials.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| League Start | 15 December 2025 |
| Total Teams | 13 |
| Foreign Players Allowed | Maximum 2 per team |
| Initial Format | Single round-robin (potential double-leg if sponsored) |
| Possible Venues | Bir Sreshtho Shahid Mostafa Kamal Stadium / National Stadium |