Country Bangladesh Number of teams 12 Relegation to BCL | Confederation AFC Level on pyramid 1 | |
Founded 2 March 2007; 9 years ago (2 March 2007) | ||
Bangladesh Premier League is the top-tier association football league of Bangladesh run by the country's football federation. It was previously known as the B. League that began in 2007. The league was renamed to Bangladesh League in 2009. In 2012 it was renamed to the current name. It marked the start of the professional era and an open wide national league. It was sponsored by Manyavar for the 2015 season, thus known as Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League. In the following season, 2016, it is sponsored by the JB Group. The Dhaka Derby is one of the most popular matches in the league.
Contents
History
A national football championship was first started in 2000, before that, the Dhaka League was renowned as the top-tier football league in Bangladesh.
In 2007, the winner of the Dhaka League and top club teams mainly from Dhaka and other parts of the country were promoted to the first professional league. The B.League replaced the National Football Championship as the premier national league. A total of 12 clubs were scheduled to participate before Sylhet DSA withdrew and were not replaced.
With clubs playing professional football from all over the country and not from the capital only unlike the Dhaka League, the professional league even then failed to gain the popularity of the Dhaka League and to improve the country's football.
The 2009–10 season brought, along with the change in name of the league, newly built football clubs like Beanibazar. This might seem promising for the country's football.
No second division league was introduced until in 2011 and this hampered the fate of the relegated teams. Clubs were selected from regional leagues especially from the Dhaka League and called up.
Bangladesh Football Federation introduced the second-tier league Bangladesh Championship League in 2012 as 5th season of Premier League was commencing.
List of winners
Champions so far are:
Total champions
The number of national championships that clubs in Bangladesh have attained since the professional Bangladesh Football Premier League (formerly B. League or Bangladesh League) was introduced, is as below.
Total national football championship titles:
6 Abahani Ltd.
3 Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club
2 Mohammedan SC
1 Muktijoddha Sangsad KC
1 Sheikh Russel KC
1 Brothers Union
Clubs and locations
Top clubs:
Sylhet United will be added along with 3 more teams.
Dhaka Derby
Two most old and famous clubs in the history of Bangladesh football Dhaka Abahani and Dhaka Mohammedan SC. The match between these rivals called Dhaka Derby. The Dhaka Derby played in Bangabandhu National Stadium
Stadiums
Sponsorship
Currently, the league's official name begins with Bangladesh's official football sponsors Manyavar. Telecommunications company, Citycell first sponsored professional football in the country after Nitol Tata kicked off semi-pro tournament but did not seek to renew its contract with the football association leaving in 2009–10 season. It was an uncertain situation for the country's already underdeveloped football but BFF managed to get Grameenphone, the country's leading mobile phone telecommunications company. Nitol Tata has become sponsor of the league in 2013–14 season. Currently Manyavar is title sponsors of premier League.