Lacklustre BFL drifts into uncertainty

Bashundhara Kings barely held on to the top spot as the Bangladesh Football League (BFL) concluded a low-key and controversy-hit first phase, sliding into uncertainty amid player departures, poor planning and broadcast failures.

The nine-round first phase of the 10-team league ended on Saturday with four matches played across four venues. The most startling result came in Manikganj, where eighth-placed Young Men's Fakirerpool staged a remarkable comeback from 3-0 down to hold leaders Kings to a 3-3 draw, scoring all three goals in the final 15 minutes.

The result, following a defeat and a draw in Kings' previous two matches, still allowed the five-time champions to retain top spot with 18 points from nine matches. Fortis FC joined them on 18 points after a 2-0 win over PWD SC, while Abahani climbed to fifth place, five points adrift of the leaders, with a 3-0 victory against Arambagh.

Rahmatganj and Bangladesh Police FC remained third and fourth respectively with 15 and 14 points after a 1-1 draw.

While the congested top half of the table may suggest fierce competition, the reality has been a noticeable drop in quality and intensity in the rebranded BFL compared to previous seasons.

Amer Khan, manager of seventh-placed Brothers Union, blamed the unprofessionalism of the Professional League Management Committee for his team's struggles. "The intermittent breaks have hampered our progress. League committee meetings hardly take place and we have not been informed when the league will resume," Amer told The Daily Star.

Following the ninth round, the league has entered an extended break with no confirmed restart date. The BFF said the mid-term transfer window will run from January 4 to 31, during which all league and Federation Cup matches will be suspended. A tentative February 6 restart has been discussed, but national elections scheduled for February 12 are likely to force a further delay.

Financial instability has also taken its toll. Kings saw Cuban Mitchell announce his departure on social media, alleging unpaid wages -- echoing claims made earlier by defender Tariq Kazi. With the league's most affluent club struggling, others are barely surviving.

"We were supposed to receive a share of broadcast revenue, but nothing has been paid yet," Amer alleged, questioning the logic of a long mid-term window when most clubs are unwilling to sign new players. Abahani manager and BFF executive member Satyajit Das Rupu echoed similar concerns.

"We are looking forward to the federation's directives to decide on the team's training," Rupu said.

Beyond the lack of quality on the pitch and administrative shortcomings, broadcast and marketing failures have emerged as the most widely criticised aspects of Bangladesh's top-tier league this season. Midway through the first phase, the BFF announced a title sponsorship agreement with Malaysian petroleum giant Petronas, only to withdraw the claim within 24 hours. Meanwhile, branding of the league's new sponsor, United Healthcare, has been largely absent across all five venues.

Broadcasting has further frustrated supporters, with one entire round of matches going untelevised and the remaining fixtures shown with outdated production quality. Poor camera work and substandard coverage have made viewing on YouTube and OTT platforms a trying experience for fans.

                               BFL TABLE

Team                     P            W           D             L              Pts

Bashundhara        9             5              3              1              18

Fortis                    9            5              3              1              18

Rahmatganj          9             4              3              2              15

Police                   9             3              5              1              14

Abahani                9             3              4              2              13

Mohammedan      9              2              4              3              10

Brothers               9              2              3              4              9

Fakirerpool           9              2              3              4              9

PWD                     9              1              4              4              7

Arambagh            9              1              2              6              5