Bangladesh stepped into a new era of football on Thursday as the country’s first-ever national Futsal League officially kicked off at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Mirpur, in a landmark initiative spearheaded by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and its Futsal wing under the leadership of BFF Futsal Committee Chairman Imranur Rahman.
The historic tournament features 11 teams each in the men’s and women’s categories, highlighting a structured effort to institutionalise futsal in the country. The participating teams in both divisions are Bangladesh Army, Ansar, BKSP, Chandpur District, Dhaka Athletic, Fakir FC, IM10, Sports Field Logistics, Techville Futsal Club, Warrior Sports Academy and Xenon FC.
The inauguration ceremony began at 4pm before competitive action got underway in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
The women’s category opened the league in thrilling fashion as Bangladesh Army and BKSP played out a dramatic 3-3 draw. BKSP surged to a 3-1 lead through a brace from Runa and a goal by Moni. However, Army mounted a spirited comeback, with Nowshon, Eite and Mitu finding the net to rescue a point in a fittingly exciting curtain-raiser for the historic league.
Later in the evening, the same two sides faced off in the men’s division opener, where Bangladesh Army thrashed BKSP 6-1 to register the first victory in the men’s category. Maruf, Swopon, Sabbir and Jahidul scored one goal each, while Atik netted twice for Army. Rasiul scored the lone consolation goal for BKSP.
The launch of a national futsal league comes at a time when Bangladesh has only recently begun investing seriously in the format. Earlier this year, the women’s team made history by winning the maiden edition of the SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship, a triumph that significantly boosted the sport’s profile nationwide.
The BFF’s move to introduce a structured league is being viewed as a bold and commendable step toward long-term development. With both men’s and women’s competitions running simultaneously and a high-scoring, entertaining opening day, the Futsal League Bangladesh signals not just the start of a tournament, but the dawn of a promising new chapter in Bangladesh football.
