Promoted Gopalganj SC withdraw from BPL

Newly promoted Gopalganj Sporting Club have withdrawn from the forthcoming season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) citing plans to further develop their infrastructure before making the jump to top flight.

Gopalganj SC earned promotion to the top-flight after finishing as runners-up in the second-tier Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) in the previous season.

However, the club officially informed the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) of their inability to take part in the top-tier league on the last day of the transfer window on Wednesday.

"There were two reasons [to withdraw from BPL]. The first reason was the financial problem and the second one was the club's decision to play second-tier BCL and use the funds that would be required if we played in the BPL to develop the club's infrastructure in Dhaka," the club's manager SM Mamunur Rashid told The Daily Star yesterday.

"We needed at least Tk 8 crore to form the BPL squad but now we have to spend just Tk one crore to form a BCL squad," he added.

The withdrawal of Gopalganj SC means only 10 teams will compete in the 15th edition of the BPL.

This is not the first time a promoted club has pulled out of the top flight as earlier Cox City SC, Youngmen's Fakirerpool Club and Arambagh KS had withdrawn from the BPL in 2012, 2017 and 2019 respectively.

Meanwhile, defending champions Bashundhara Kings have once again formed a star-studded squad for the 2023-24 season.

The four-time champions have roped in 11 out of the 23-member Bangladesh squad that recently defeated the Maldives 3-2 on aggregate in the the preliminary round of World Cup Qualifiers.

Tapu Barman, Anisur Rahman Zico and Sheikh Morsalin, who have recently been penalised by the club on disciplinary grounds, will be a part of the Kings squad for the upcoming season.

Kings will be trying to clinch their fifth successive title in the BPL.