Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has finally abandoned this season’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in view of the coronavirus epidemic, putting an end to all speculations in this regard.
The BFF took the decision unanimously at a virtual emergency executive committee’s meeting held at its conference room on Sunday with federation’s President Kazi Mohammad Salahuddin in the chair, a BFF press release said.
“The meeting also decided that no promotion or relegation will be applicable for the participating
clubs in this season’s league,” the release said. Scrapping of the league means that only Federation Cup champions Bashundhara Kings will be able to represent Bangladesh in 2021 AFC Cup.
If the league was not abandoned, two teams from Bnagladesh could represent in AFC Cup. In that case Bangladesh has lost one quota following the BFF’sdecision.
The meeting also decided not to stage this season’s Independence Cup Soccer Tournament due to coronavirus pandemic, the release added.
BFF senior vice president Abdus Salam Murshedy, BFF Vice President Tabith Awal, members Iqbal Hossain, Fazlur Rahman Babul, Amit Khan Shuvro, Zakir Hossain Chowdhury and Mahfuza Akter Kiron and BFF General Secretary AbuNayeem Shohag were present at the meeting.
While BFF vice president Kazi Nabil Ahmed, Members Showkat Ali Khan Jahangir, Amirul Islam Babu, Harunur Rashid and Satyajit Das Rupu, Arif Hossain and Mohiuddin Ahmed Selim joined the meeting through video conference.
Earlier, BFF sought a guideline from Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regarding the fate of the BPL.
On April 25 last, the Professional Football League Committee (PFLC), which runs the BPL, at an emergency meeting bestowed the responsibility on BFF executive committee to decide the future of the league.
The PFLC’s decision came after it postponed the BPL for an indefinite period in view of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
