BFF to receive three stadiums for development with FIFA funds

The National Sports Council (NSC) is going to allocate three venues to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) – Bir Shrestha Shaheed Sipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur, Sylhet Stadium and Chittagong Stadium. The BFF had recently applied for the development of these stadiums under FIFA funds. Although the BFF has sought allocation for 20 years as per FIFA guidelines, NSC is preparing to allocate all three stadiums for 22 years keeping in mind the related processes and time. NSC Director (Sports) Aminul Ahsan said in his office today, ‘After reviewing the draft agreement in detail, both parties have agreed on the agreement. We hope to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) this month.’ When asked about the allocation of eight stadiums to the BFF earlier, Aminul Ahsan said, ‘In August 2025, when the interim government’s sports advisor Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan was in charge, there were discussions about giving the stadiums of Gazipur, Munshiganj, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar to the BFF. But due to objections from Chittagong and Gazipur, a final decision could not be taken at that time.’ He further said that in mid-January this year, the BFF again applied for the three mentioned stadiums. After that, the NSC started the process and now they are almost ready for the agreement. Although the NSC has previously temporarily allocated various stadiums to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) for hosting professional leagues, national championships or international tournaments, this is the first time that the allocation is being made for a period of more than 20 years. Basically, a long-term agreement with the government is required to develop a stadium funded by FIFA or AFC. It is worth noting that the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Sipahi Mustafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur was previously allocated for 20 years for the installation of artificial turf under the FIFA Forward project. The new agreement extends that period by another two years.