Kings Ready to Sparkle Again on the Football Field

Bangla Press Desk:  Dhaka Abahani Limited, Bashundhara Kings and Youngmen’s Fukirerpool Club have cleared their outstanding dues to footballers, coaches and others and have consequently been released from FIFA sanctions. There are now no further obstacles for the clubs in terms of licensing.

This is not merely an unprecedented development; it clearly demonstrates how significant the contribution, role and influence of these two clubs have been in Bangladeshi football.Before the FIFA bans were lifted, various stories had emerged around Bashundhara Kings and Abahani amid the prevailing circumstances. Those stories are no longer doing the rounds. That is the reality. Mohammedan Sporting Club, meanwhile, had been in a relatively comfortable position from the outset.

For various reasons, time has been on their side, and they therefore did not have to worry about building a strong squad. They assembled their team long ago and have already secured a foreign coach. Abahani will also have a major surprise in the form of Nigerian forward Michael Babatunde, who has played at the World Cup, joining the club as their foreign recruit for the upcoming season.

Thirteen clubs will compete in the forthcoming Bangladesh Football League 2026-27. Discussions have already begun about the teams’ strength on paper, which should help keep the football pot boiling. But the excitement and intensity that have long characterised league football make the competition extremely demanding. Maintaining consistency while keeping players fit and sustaining their competitive mentality will be the biggest challenge. On paper, many believe the upcoming league will be far more competitive. Seven teams, in particular, are expected to remain in contention.

Bashundhara Kings entered the big stage of football in the 2018-19 season. Since then, the club’s track record over the past several years has been not merely remarkable but extraordinary. Bashundhara Kings has established itself as a powerhouse of Bangladeshi football and as a model club worthy of emulation.

The club has transformed the culture of running and managing professional football clubs. Kings has demonstrated how important accountability and responsibility are when a football club operates under a professional framework. In the process, it has succeeded in creating its own distinct image.

Since Bashundhara Kings arrived in the 2018-19 season, it has dominated Bangladeshi football for several years. The club has won the league title for five consecutive seasons, finishing ahead of established sides such as Abahani, Mohammedan, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Sheikh Russel KC. No other club in the 78-year history of Dhaka’s domestic football has won the league title in five successive seasons.

In a relatively short period, Kings has won 17 trophies, including the Bangladesh Championship League, Bangladesh Premier League — now known in Bangla simply as the Bangladesh League — the Federation Cup, Independence Cup and Challenge Cup. Its women’s football team has also won three league titles. Counting those, the club has secured 20 trophies in total.

That means 20 trophies from 24 competitions. In the past three seasons alone, Kings have brought home eight of the nine available trophies. Since entering professional football, the club has won the treble twice, including last season — a feat no other club has achieved so far. Kings has made Dhaka football its own over the past several years.

It is a reality that Bashundhara Kings has gone through a difficult period in recent months. However, the club’s management did not collapse, nor did it lose faith or confidence. The message throughout has been that the problems arose because of various circumstances and would eventually be resolved. It has taken time.

Having emerged from 14 FIFA sanctions, the club will now enter the 2026-27 season with a stronger squad than last season and will fight to retain all the major trophies. There is no other thought in the club’s mind.

The confidence, courage and determination of the club’s management have been strengthened by the grace of Almighty Allah and by the unwavering support of Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, chairman of the group and a passionate supporter of sport. He has kept a daily watch on the progress of the work and spoken regularly with Bashundhara Kings president Md Imrul Hasan.

He has consistently said: “Tell everyone there is no reason to worry. Bashundhara Kings is a shining brand. Its popularity and acceptance will grow further in the future. Bashundhara Kings will shine even brighter on the field.”

The chairman of Bashundhara Group and members of his family have come forward with clear goals and objectives for the development of sport in Bangladesh. They have invested thousands of crores of taka in building the modern Bashundhara Sports City with the aim of playing a creative and effective role in improving standards across various sports.The Sports City provides modern facilities for all major sports and includes state-of-the-art sporting infrastructure. The country’s sporting community is already beginning to benefit directly from the project. International tournaments and competitions in various disciplines are now being held at the Bashundhara Sports Complex, and there is little doubt that such events will increase in the future.

The Sports Complex is now known not only in South Asian countries but also in Europe and North America. No other individual initiative in South Asia has been on such a large scale to expand sporting facilities, while Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Group has taken precisely such an initiative.

Behind all of this lies a commitment to sport, a sense of responsibility and a pledge to stand beside the country and its people through social initiatives.

Bashundhara Kings has changed the colour of Bangladeshi football through what it has brought to the pitch. It has transformed the football environment and represents the spirit of the times.

Traditional clubs such as Mohammedan and Abahani have huge numbers of supporters and fans across the country, which is entirely natural. What Bashundhara Kings has managed to do is attract the younger generation.

Young people have found something new in the way Kings play. They see the club as representing modern ideas about football and want change in the country’s football landscape. The club’s growing popularity among young people for various reasons is undoubtedly a positive development.

I have spoken face-to-face and over the telephone with Bashundhara Kings president Md Imrul Hasan on several occasions. As a responsible administrator, he was certainly concerned and worried, but I never heard a note of despair in his voice.

He always said that everything would eventually be put right, perhaps sooner than expected. Kings would return to the field with its reputation intact and would not back away from its commitments.

Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, chairman of the group, has never said “no” when it comes to serving the interests of sport in Bangladesh. He has always said: “Move forward properly — the group will always support sporting activities, because sport plays an important role in nation-building.”

After Kings won the treble in football last season, a grand reception was organised for the club’s players and officials on 22 May 2026. Ahmed Akbar Sobhan attended the event as chief guest.

In his speech, he said: “I have heard that the players have made many, many sacrifices this time, for which I may not be able to repay them. But, InshaAllah, I can say with certainty that Imrul sahib [Bashundhara Kings president Imrul Hasan] will pay everyone exactly what he has agreed with them. There may be a delay of two days, perhaps, but no player will be disappointed. I can guarantee that.”

He added: “I hope, InshaAllah, Bashundhara Kings will shine much, much brighter in the days ahead. It will prove once again that Kings are always Kings. The sacrifices and hardships made by these players will remain in my memory for the rest of my life, as well as in the memories of my children and everyone at Bashundhara Group. Bashundhara Group will certainly repay those sacrifices.”

He also said: “Bashundhara Group is working tirelessly for the development of football in the country. Kings is also making a major contribution to Bangladeshi football. Bashundhara Kings is certainly keeping Bangladeshi football alive. If Bashundhara Kings had not entered the scene, perhaps Bangladeshi football would not exist today. The players of Bashundhara Kings, and especially Imrul, deserve special credit for this. He can be described as someone devoted to football. I hope that the contribution of everyone who has played for Bashundhara Kings in Bangladeshi football will never be denied by this country, this nation and the 200 million people of Bangladesh.” (Kaler Kantho, 23 May 2026)

Kings have assembled a 35-member squad featuring proven Bangladeshi, South Asian and foreign players. Some members of the national team have left the club for other sides because of concerns over a lack of confidence and uncertainty.

In professional football, everyone has the right to make their own decisions. A player who leaves a club can return later if he remains acceptable to the club.

From the outset, Bashundhara Kings have made it clear that their target is to win two or three trophies in the coming season, depending on whether the one-day Challenge Cup ultimately takes place.

The club will once again be managed by last season’s proven local coaching panel. They are optimistic about this year’s squad. The return of Robson da Silva Robinho is a major boost for the team. Ultimately, however, everything will depend on how well the players gel on the pitch.

Sports reporters have been providing football updates almost every day. Training has begun, and therefore the rest of the story can be told in due course.

Exciting league football always has a way of drawing people in.