Bangladesh Football Federation Delays Season Start Due to Registration Issues

The Bangladesh Football Federation has been forced into another reshuffle of the domestic calendar, with the 2026-27 Bangladesh Football League and Federation Cup both pushed back as three major clubs remain under FIFA registration bans.

Bashundhara Kings, Abahani and Young Men's Fakirerpool Club have still not resolved their FIFA-imposed player registration restrictions despite several extensions, leaving the BFF with little room to manoeuvre. The federation has now set 3 September 2026 as the final deadline for all participating clubs to complete their first-phase player registration for the new league campaign.

The knock-on effect is significant. The football season, which was originally slated to kick off on 25 August, will now start on 18 September. The Federation Cup, initially pencilled in for 28 August, has also been pushed back and is now scheduled to begin on 22 September.

Cup football will be spread across four venues: Munshiganj, Manikganj, Gopalganj and the National Stadium in Dhaka, turning it into a travelling curtain-raiser for a season that has already tested everyone’s patience.

The international calendar adds another layer. With the FIFA window running from 21 September to 6 October, BFF has ordered the national team camp to open on 27 August, even as clubs scramble to finalise their squads and navigate the registration logjam.

Then comes another complication: Fortis FC’s continental duty. Their involvement in the AFC Challenge League will carve out a fresh gap in the domestic schedule, with the group stage in Kuwait set for 17–23 October. To avoid constant chopping and changing, BFF has decided that Fortis’ fixtures in both the Bangladesh Football League and the Federation Cup will be played only after the completion of the first phase of the league.

Deadlines, bans, international windows, and a club heading to Asia. The calendar is finally on paper. Now the real question is whether the clubs can meet it before the first whistle blows.