Season reboots today amid challenges

The Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Premier League begins today, amid concerns over diminished competitiveness due to the absence of two former champions, subpar pitch conditions, and reduced player wages.
On the opening day, five-time champions Bashundhara Kings face Chittagong Abahani at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka, runners-up Mohammedan SC meet promoted Dhaka Wanderers Club in Gazipur, while Brothers Union host Bangladesh Police SC in Mymensingh.
The withdrawal of three-time champions Sheikh Jamal DC and one-time champions Sheikh Russel KC, following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, has added to the league’s challenges. Both clubs cited financial crises, leading to reduced wages of players.
Meanwhile, six-time champions Abahani are competing without foreign players for the first time, further diminishing the league’s competitiveness compared to last season.
Despite these setbacks, Kings technical director BA Jubair Nipu believes the league will remain competitive, despite the absence of two major clubs and Abahani’s decision to forgo foreign players.
“It might seem that it’s going to be easy [to win the league], but we lost some quality players this season. And the standard of local players of all clubs are almost the same,” said Nipu, adding that Mohammedan, Abahani — even without foreign players — Fortis FC and Police are capable of going the distance.
Mohammedan coach Alfaz Ahmed noted that with the withdrawal of Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel, along with a redistribution of quality players, most teams — except Kings and Mohammedan — now have comparable strength.
“Our target is to improve on last season’s second-place finish,” Alfaz said.
Fortis coach Masud Parvez Kaiser, however, reckons “the financial crisis affecting most clubs” will make it “challenging for coaches to consistently keep players motivated.”
Five of the league’s venues, excluding the Kings Arena, are reportedly not up to professional standard. Kaiser, also a former national team assistant coach, added that “substandard” grounds in Dhaka will “make it difficult to distinguish between top-tier and lower-tier players”.