Bangladeshi football league system
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
No (Women)
| Country | Bangladesh |
|---|---|
| Sport | Association football |
| Promotion and relegation | Yes (Men) No (Women) |
| National system | |
| Federation | Bangladesh Football Federation |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Top division | Bangladesh Football League (Men) Women's Football League (Women) |
| Second division | Championship League |
| Cup competition | |
| Association football in Bangladesh | |
The Bangladeshi football league system contains two wide open national professional leagues, three Dhaka based semi-professional leagues and one age-level amateur league.[1]
Semi-professional era (1948–2006)
Men's system
- As of February 2025.
| Level | Division | Class |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangladesh Football League 10 clubs ↓ 2 relegation spot |
Professional |
| 2 | Bangladesh Championship League 10 clubs ↑ 2 teams promoted ↓ 2 teams relegated | |
| 3 | Dhaka Senior Division League 18 clubs ↑ 4 teams promoted ↓ 2 teams relegated |
Semi-professional |
| 4 | Dhaka Second Division League 15 clubs ↑ 2 teams promoted ↓ 2 teams relegated | |
| 5 | Dhaka Third Division League 15 clubs ↑ 2 teams promoted ↓ 2 teams relegated | |
| 6 | Bangladesh Pioneer League Unlimited number of clubs ↑ 4 teams promoted No relegation |
Amateur |
Regional leagues
The district football leagues in Bangladesh are administered by their respective District Football Associations (DFA), all of which were established across the country's 64 districts in 2008.[9] These associations operate under the supervision of the District Football League Committee of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). With the exception of the Dhaka Football League, district leagues function outside the national football league pyramid. Although district football leagues officially exist in every district, many are currently inactive or nonoperational.[10] Notably, Mymesingh and Khulna have two of the oldest football leagues in the country.
Qualification for cups
Domestic cups
The primary domestic cup competition in Bangladesh is the Federation Cup. The cup competition is currently only open to Bangladesh Football League clubs and runs simultaneously with the league season. The winners of the tournament were previously given entry to the preliminary stages of the AFC Cup. The Independence Cup is mainly open to Premier League clubs, however, Services teams and Bangladesh Championship League clubs are also eligible to participate given they receive permission from the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).
Continental competition
As of the 2025–26 season, the Bangladesh Football League champions qualify for the AFC Challenge League preliminary stage. However, if the league champions are not able to attain AFC licensing, league runners-up or Federation Cup winners are elected to participate in AFC competitions.
Women's system
| Level | Division | Class |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangladesh Women's Football League 9 clubs No relegation |
Semi-professional |
