The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the country’s top-tier football league, will kick off its 16th season today at four stadiums.
According to the schedule announced by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) yesterday, four-time champions Bashundhara Kings will begin their title defense at home against promoted Brothers Union at 4:30 pm at the Kings Arena in Dhaka.
Earlier in the day, three bouts will begin at 2:30 p.m. Title contenders and six-time champions Abahani face Rahmatganj MFS at Gopalganj’s Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Stadium; Mohammedan SC and Fortis SC clash at Rajshahi’s Muktijoddha Smrity Stadium; and Bangladesh Police FC, who finished third last season, face Chittagong Abahani at Mymensingh’s Rafique Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium.
Sheikh Russel KC will face Sheikh Jamal DC at the Kings Arena on the second matchday.
The 10-team league’s first-leg matchups are scheduled to conclude on February 24 next year, after nine rounds played on Friday and Saturday.
The previous season, like the two before it, was a one-sided affair as Kings became the first club to win a fourth straight BPL championship, finishing with a stunning 15-point advantage over runners-up Abahani.
Meanwhile, the participating BPL teams will compete in another important event, the Federation Cup, which began in 1980 and concludes on December 26.