The main venue for Bangladesh football is the National Stadium in Dhaka. There has been no competitive football at this ground since renovation work began in July 2021. Football is returning ‘home’ after a long 1,659 days with the Bangladesh-Bhutan match this afternoon (Wednesday).
Although renovation work began in July 2021, domestic football was played until August. The last international match at this venue was on November 17, 2020. The BFF organized a two-match series against Nepal to mark the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. After that, no international matches were held at the National Stadium.
The Spanish coach of the Bangladesh national team, Javier Cabrera, has been working since January 2022. After coaching in Bangladesh for more than three years, today is his debut in the home of football. Not only Javier, but also Sheikh Morsalin-Mitul Marma and several other footballers will play their first match at the National Stadium today.
As the National Stadium was under renovation, the Kings Arena of Bashundhara Kings was the unwritten home venue of Bangladesh for three years. Both the footballers and the coach wanted to play at the Kings Arena. Although the National Stadium is a historic venue for Bangladesh, this ground is a new environment for many footballers. Coach Javier said at a press conference yesterday, “This is the first match for me at this venue. We have already practiced for a few days (since June 1). Although the ground is new, everyone in Bangladesh is familiar with this stadium.”
The renovation work has been completed at a cost of 158 crore taka, with the budget increasing in stages. Everything has been upgraded, including floodlights, athletics track, gallery, and press box. The Bangladesh-Bhutan match will start at 7 pm today at the newly renovated National Stadium. Along with footballers and journalists, spectators are also eager to get a taste of the new stadium. As the first stadium in Bangladesh, lights have been installed in the gallery shed. There are always questions about the construction and renovation work of the National Sports Council. It remains to be seen how the new stadium will perform at such a high cost.
The National Stadium is jointly used by the Bangladesh Football Federation and the Athletics Federation. Athletics has been hosting national competitions at this venue since 2024. The Bangladesh Football Federation has not hosted any competitive football since 2021. A few months ago, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education held the final match of the primary school at this venue. The national women’s football team has, however, practiced here for several days.
Although the National Stadium is now known only for football and athletics, it is mainly for cricket. It also had the special feat of playing the first home match between two countries at the same venue. The first home Test of the Pakistan cricket team was held at the stadium in Dhaka. Apart from this, Bangladesh’s debut Test was also held here. The National Stadium also witnessed the victory in the 100th ODI match. It was the venue for the opening of the 2011 ODI and the 2014 T20 World Cup; it was also the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the SA Games in 1985, 1993 and 2010.
The golden past of Bangladeshi football is associated with this stadium. Many historic matches of Abahani-Mohammedan, Brothers have been held here. Bangladesh has been the champion in South Asian football only once. Aminul-Hasan Al Mamunra held the SAFF trophy high at the National Stadium in 2003. The latest success of Bangladeshi football is the gold medal at the 2010 SA Games. The Argentina-Nigeria match in 2011, the arrival of legendary footballer Zinedine Zidane, and one of the greatest athletes of all time, boxer Muhammad Ali, stepped foot in this stadium in 1978. The responsibility of bringing new life to football in a new atmosphere in the country’s historic stadium is now on the shoulders of Hamza-Jamal.
