The National Sports Council (NSC) is preparing to allocate three major football venues to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) for long-term development under FIFA funding support, marking a significant step in infrastructure expansion for the sport in the country.
The stadiums include Birshreshtha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur, Sylhet Stadium and Chattogram Stadium.
BFF had initially requested a 20-year allocation in line with FIFA guidelines to carry out development work, but NSC is now considering extending the lease period to 22 years to account for procedural and processing requirements.
According to NSC Director (Sports) Aminul Ahesan, discussions between both parties have been completed based on a draft agreement, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) is expected within this month.
He also recalled that earlier discussions under the interim administration included a proposal to allocate eight stadiums across various districts, including Gazipur, Munshiganj, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar. However, that plan was not finalised due to objections raised from Chattogram and Gazipur.
Later, in January this year, the BFF submitted a revised request focusing on the three stadiums now under consideration, prompting the current approval process.
NSC officials noted that while stadiums have previously been handed over temporarily for domestic competitions and tournaments, the current arrangement would be the first long-term lease exceeding two decades, specifically intended for infrastructure upgrades using FIFA and AFC development funds.
In addition, the existing 20-year lease of Kamalapur stadium for FIFA-funded artificial turf installation is also expected to be extended by two more years under the new arrangement.
