Relegated Dhaka Wanderers may return to BPL if Fakirerpool fail to lift transfer ban

The Professional League Management Committee of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has decided to allow relegated side Dhaka Wanderers Club to participate in the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), should Fakirerpool Young Men's Club fail to lift their ongoing transfer ban.

FIFA recently imposed a transfer embargo on Fakirerpool Young Men's Club over unresolved payment issues with Uzbek player Sardor Jakhonov. With the transfer window set to close on August 14, the club has yet to resolve the dispute, putting their BPL participation in jeopardy.

"If Fakirerpool Young Men's Club fails to resolve their issue and lift the ban, the opportunity will go to Dhaka Wanderers Club, who finished ninth out of ten teams and were originally relegated to the Bangladesh Championship League," PLMC Vice Chairman Zakir Hossain Chowdhury told The Daily Star.

Chowdhury added that Fakirerpool officials have expressed their intention to settle the matter with Jakhonov in order to ensure their participation, while Wanderers Club have also shown interest in joining the top flight if given the opportunity.

Dhaka Wanderers alongside Chittagong Abahani, placed ninth and 10th (with 10 and three points, respectively), were relegated last season, while eighth-placed Fakirerpool just beat the drop, thanks to 19 points from 18 games. 

In addition, the committee has approved two new BPL venues in Manikganj and Rajshahi. These join last season's venues in Cumilla, Mymensingh, Munshiganj, Gazipur, and the Bashundhara Kings Arena.

Meanwhile, defending champions Mohammedan SC have applied to the BFF to use the newly-opened National Stadium as their home ground for the 2025–26 season.