National Football Championship (Bangladesh)

The National Football Championship is a semi-professional association football tournament in Bangladesh, contested by districts and government institutions of the country.[1]

National Football Championship
Founded2000 (2000)
RegionBangladesh Bangladesh
Number of teams78 (2020)
Current championsBangladesh Army (2nd title)
Most successful team(s)Mohammedan SC
Bangladesh Army
(2 titles each)
Television broadcastersBangladesh Football Federation
(on Facebook and YouTube)
Websitebff.com.bd
2021–22 Bangabandhu National Football Championship

During the seasons ranging from 2000 to 2006, the wide-open national cup tournament was played by club champions from different districts (Chittagong, Rajshahi, Barishal and Syhlet) along with the top three teams of each season from the country's top division at the time, the Dhaka Premier Division League (Dhaka League).[2]

In 2006, the championship was folded, as the Dhaka Premier Division League was replaced by the country's first professional top-tier national league, the Bangladesh Premier League. In 2020, it was rebranded with a new format and resumed after 13 years as a regional tournament.[1]

History

2000–2006

In 2000, the Bangladesh Football Federation established the National Football Championship (NFC), which was played alongside the country's top-tier at the time, the Dhaka Premier Division League (Dhaka League). The championship was introduced in order for different district champions to get a better platform, as the top-teier league only featured clubs from Dhaka. The championship was considered to be the club version of the Sher-e-Bangla Cup (inter-district tournament).

The tournament, included the top 3 finishing teams from each Dhaka Premier Division League season, along with district league champions of Chittagong, Rajshahi, and the winners of a playoff between the champions of Sylhet and Barisal. From the 2003 season, the winners of the competition were given a spot in the group-stages of the AFC Cup alongside the winners of the Dhaka Premier Division League.[3]

From 2005 to 2007, the Dhaka Premier Division League was not held, which meant the National Football Championship was the only functioning competition which had the country's top clubs participate, other than the domestic club competitions.[4][5]

In 2007, the Bangladesh Premier League replaced the Dhaka Premier Division League as the country's top-tier. This marked the beginning of Bangladesh's first professional football league, and also the first wide open national league, meaning a National Football Championship was no longer required.[6]

Revival (2020–present)

On 10 January 2020, the Bangladesh Football Federation revived the National Football Championship after a gap of 13 years, celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The reintroduced National Football Championship will not include football clubs, instead district and institution football teams will be allowed to participate in the competition. It is now considered to be the replacement for the Sher-e-Bangla Cup.[1]

Format
As of 2021–22

Along with 64 districts football teams three service teams, six public universities, five education boards, and Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishthan will participate in the tournament. The participants districts have been divided in eight zones named Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Shitalakshya, Brahmaputra, Surma, Chitra and Buriganga. Each zone consists eight teams except Surma, which contains seven teams.[7] There will be knockout matches in every zone which will be played on home and away basis. In first round, a pair of teams of every zone will play each other which will decide four winners. In second round, that four winners in each zone will play zonal semifinal. In third round, the semi-final winners will face each other in zonal final. The champion from each zone will qualify for the final round.[8]

Teams representing education boards, universities & the services teams—a total of 15 teams—are divided in four groups in Sheba zone.[9] The teams of this zone will play on round-robin basis. Champion and runners-up of Sheba zone will join eight zonal champions in the final round.[10]

Sponsorship

Nitol-Tata Group was the title sponsor of this competition from 2001 to 2005.[11] For sponsorship reason, the competition was also known as Nitol-Tata National Football League.

Period Sponsor Amount Print Media Ref.
2000 Grameen Phone 3 lakhs BDT UNB
2001–2005 Tata Motors 25 lakhs BDT Daily Inqilab
2020 Walton Group 8 lakhs BDT Prothom Alo

[12]

Overview

2000–2006
Season Winner Runner-up Third-place Top Scorer Goals
2000Abahani Limited (Dhaka)Mohammedan SCChittagong Abahani Limited
2001–02Mohammedan SCAbahani Limited DhakaNone
2003Muktijoddha SKCMohammedan SCAbahani Limited DhakaBangladesh Saifur Rahman Moni7
2004Brothers UnionMuktijoddha SKCAbahani Limited DhakaBangladesh Saifur Rahman Moni6
2005–06Mohammedan SCAbahani Limited DhakaNone

Note: Winners of the competition when clubs participated.[2]

2020–present
Season Winner Runner-up Third-place Top Scorer Goals Source
2020Bangladesh Army
2021–22Bangladesh ArmyChittagong DistrictNoneBangladesh Imtiaz Ahmed6[13]

Note: Winners of the competition since districts and institutes participate.

Winners
Team Winner
Mohammedan SC2
Bangladesh Army2
Abahani Limited Dhaka1
Muktijoddha SKC1
Brothers Union1

References
  1. "Nat'l football C'ships back after 13 years". The Daily Star. 2019-12-13. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  2. "Bangladesh – List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  3. "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 668". archive.thedailystar.net.
  4. "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 893". archive.thedailystar.net.
  5. "Booters demand Dhaka League". The Daily Star. 6 November 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  6. Rahman, Anisur (July 6, 2018). "Bangladesh football: then and now". The Daily Star.
  7. "বঙ্গবন্ধু জাতীয় ফুটবল চ্যাম্পিয়নশিপের পৃষ্ঠপোষক ওয়ালটন". m.mzamin.com. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  8. প্রতিবেদক, ক্রীড়া (2020-01-21). "বঙ্গবন্ধু জাতীয় চ্যাম্পিয়নশিপের নকআউট পর্বে বগুড়া". risingbd.com. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  9. "বঙ্গবন্ধু জাতীয় চ্যাম্পিয়নশিপ ১৭ জানুয়ারি থেকে শুরু". The Daily Janakantha. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  10. "বঙ্গবন্ধু ফুটবল চ্যাম্পিয়নশিপ". Jugantor. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  11. "Nitol-Tata steps up again". Dhaka Tribune. 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  12. "Nat 'l be powered by Walton Smart Fridge". Dhaka Tribune. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  13. Report, Star Sports (July 4, 2022). "Bangladesh Army retain Bangabandhu NFC title". The Daily Star.
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