Dhaka, Nov 29, (V7N) -The 2024 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football season begins on November 29, marking the start of the country’s most prestigious football competition. The opening day will feature three matches at various venues in Dhaka and its surrounding areas. Treble-winners from last season, Bashundhara Kings, will face Chittagong Abahani Limited at 5:30 pm at their home venue, Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka. Meanwhile, Dhaka Mohammedan SC, the Federation and Challenge Cup runners-up, will take on Dhaka Wanderers Club at 2:30 pm at the Shaheed Barkat Stadium in Gazipur. Brothers Union Club will play Bangladesh Police FC at the same time at the Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj.

In a noteworthy update, Mohammedan SC has informed the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) that they will not play any matches at the Bashundhara Kings Arena due to security concerns.

Follow-up Matches and League Format

The following day, Saturday, will feature two more matches. Dhaka Abahani Limited, former champions, will meet Youngmen’s Club Fakirerpool at 2:30 pm at the Shaheed Barkat Stadium, while Rahmatganj MFS will face Fortis FC Ltd. at the Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman Stadium at the same time.

The BPL is a nine-round league scheduled to run every Friday and Saturday until June 25 next year. This year's football season began on November 22 with the Bangladesh 2.0 Challenge Cup 2024-25, a one-match tournament where Bashundhara Kings claimed the title with a 3-1 victory over Dhaka Mohammedan SC. This new tournament was introduced to honor the July-August student uprising and replaced the previous Independence Cup and Federation Cup.

Federation Cup to Start Soon

The traditional Federation Cup Football Tournament 2024-25 will begin on December 3, held every Tuesday. The competition features 10 teams divided into two groups. Group B consists of Dhaka Mohammedan SC, Dhaka Abahani Ltd, Chittagong Abahani Ltd, Rahmatganj MFS, and Fakirerpool Youngmen's Club, while defending champions Bashundhara Kings are placed in Group A, alongside Bangladesh Police FC, Fortis FC, Brothers Union Club, and Dhaka Wanderers Club. The first phase will be played in three venues across Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Cumilla, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout rounds, similar to a franchise-style cricket league.

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