Bangladesh Championship League
Association football league in Bangladesh
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Bangladesh Championship League (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ চ্যাম্পিয়নশিপ লিগ), simply known as the BCL and officially ABG Bashundhara Bangladesh Championship League since 2023 for sponsorship reasons,[1] is the second-tier professional football league of Bangladesh run by the Bangladesh Football Federation. It was founded in 2012.
| |
| Organising bodies | Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| First season | 2012 |
| Country | Bangladesh |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 10 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Bangladesh Football League |
| Relegation to | Senior Division Football League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Federation Cup Independence Cup |
| Current champions | Chattogram City (1st title) (2025–26) |
| Most championships | Fakirerpool Young Men's Club (2 titles) |
| Website | bff.com.bd |
| Current: 2025–26 Bangladesh Championship League | |
History
Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) introduced the country's first professional football league in 2007. The 2nd tier professional league began with the 2012 season of Premier League. BFF introduced the second-tier league in 2012 as season 5 of Premier League was commencing.[2]
List of winners
Champions so far are:[2][3][4][5]
| Season | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Cox City Sporting Club | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 20 |
| 2013 | Chittagong Abahani | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 11 | 17 | 30 |
| 2014 | Rahmatganj MFS | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 36 | 8 | 28 | 44 |
| 2014–15 | Uttar Baridhara | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 27 |
| 2015–16 | Fakirerpool YMC | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 27 |
| 2017 | Bashundhara Kings | 18 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 17 | 6 | 35 |
| 2019 | Bangladesh Police | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 31 | 13 | 18 | 39 |
| 2020 |
Competition cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh[6] | ||||||||
| 2021 | Swadhinata KS | 22 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 30 | 11 | 19 | 45 |
| 2022 | Fortis FC | 22 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 29 | 9 | 20 | 47 |
| 2022–23 | Brothers Union | 20 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 30 | 6 | 24 | 51 |
| 2024 | Fakirerpool YMC | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 27 |
| 2025 | PWD SC | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 31 | 7 | 24 | 40 |
| 2026 | Chattogram City | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Performances by club
As of the end of 2025–26 season.
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Years Won | Years Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoxCity Sporting Club | 1 | 2012 | ||
| Chittagong Abahani | 1 | 2013 | ||
| Uttar Baridhara | 1 | 3 | 2014–15 | 2012, 2013, 2019 |
| Rahmatganj MFS | 1 | 2014 | ||
| Farashganj SC | 1 | 2014 | ||
| Saif SC | 1 | 2015–16 | ||
| Bashundhara Kings | 1 | 2017 | ||
| NoFeL SC | 1 | 2017 | ||
| Bangladesh Police | 1 | 2019 | ||
| Arambagh KS | 2 | 2014–15, 2025 | ||
| Swadhinata KS | 1 | 2021 | ||
| Fortis FC | 1 | 2022 | ||
| AFC Uttara | 1 | 2022 | ||
| Brothers Union | 1 | 2022–23 | ||
| BFF Elite Academy | 1 | 2022–23 | ||
| Fakirerpool YMC | 2 | 2015–16, 2024 | ||
| Dhaka Wanderers | 1 | 2024 | ||
| PWD SC | 1 | 2025 | ||
| Chattogram City | 1 | 2026 | ||
| City Club | 1 | 2026 |
Stats and players
Top Goalscorer
| Year | Player | Club | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 |  Toufiq Hasan Gofur | Agrani Bank SC | 12 | |
| 2013 | Nabib Newaj Jibon | Uttar Baridhara | 12 | |
| 2014 | Nurul Absar | Rahmatganj | 11 | |
| 2014–15 | Mohammed Palash | Arambagh KS | 7 | |
| 2015–16 | Arifur Rahman | Victoria SC | 6 | |
| 2017 | Ariful Islam | NoFeL SC | 12 | |
| 2019 | Amirul Islam | Bangladesh Police | 17 | |
| 2020 | League cancelled | |||
| 2021 | Ali Akbar Kanon | Wari Club | 13 | |
| 2022 | Moinul Islam | Uttara FC | 18 | |
| 2022–23 | Mirajul Islam | BFF Elite Academy | 19 | |
| 2024 | Rafayel Tudu | Fakirerpool YMC | 12 | |
| 2025 | Minhazul Karim Shadin | PWD SC | 8 | |
| Faisal Ahmed Shitol | Uttar Baridhara | |||
Clubs
2025–26 season
Ten clubs are competing in the 2025–26 season — eight from the previous season and two new entrants (two relegated from the Premier League).
| Team | Location | 2025–26 Season |
|---|---|---|
| BRTC SC | Dhaka | 2nd |
| City Club | (Mirpur), Dhaka | 3rd |
| Chattogram City | Chattogram | 1st |
| Chattogram Abahani | Chattogram | 2nd |
| Dhaka Rangers | Uttara, Dhaka | 2nd |
| Dhaka Wanderers | (Motijheel), Dhaka | 5th |
| Khelaghar SKS | Dhaka | 1st |
| Little Friends | (Gopibagh), Dhaka | 2nd |
| Suktara JS | Narayanganj | 1st |
| Wari Club | (Motijheel), Dhaka | 11th |
Sponsorship
Here is the list of sponsors of BCL since its inception:
| Period | Sponsors | Type of Institute | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-2014 | Premier Bank Limited | Bank | At first season, Premier Bank Limited sponsored the title, Destiny Group was the co-sponsor of first season. | [7][8] |
| 2014-2015 | Minister Freeze | Electronics | Premier Bank was named as a presenting sponsor while Pragati Insurance, Eastern Bank, Novo Air and Treasure Securities named as co-sponsors of the league. | [9] |
| 2015-2017 | RB-Marcel Group | Electronics | They sponsored seasons: 2015/16 and 2017. | [10][11] |
| 2018-2019 | International Sports Partner | Distributor | TVS brand is the 'title sponsor' as well as of BPL. | [12] |