Readers’ Forum

Football in empty stadium

The Bangladesh League (B-League) 2017 started on Friday in almost an empty stadium.
Defending Champions Abahani Limited fought hard to beat ‘babe’ Saif Sporting by 3-2 goals. The winners’ winning goal came from a penalty.
Football in empty stadium was beyond imagination since fifties in the twentieth century. We had to fight for tickets to watch a match even between two bottom teams. Soccer fans from Tongi, Gazipur, Savar, Narayanganj and Munshiganj used to swarm into the Dhaka stadium almost everyday. Dhaka Senior Division Football League and suspended Aga Khan Gold Cup Tournament were like festivals to us.
The 2017 Bangladesh Football Premier League sponsored by SAIF Power Battery is the 10th season of the Bangladesh Premier League since its journey in 2007. A total of 12 teams are competing in the league. Saif Global Sports are the right holder of BPL’s 10th edition and they will accommodate the advertising, branding, TV transmission, radio, marketing rights of the Bangladesh Premier League 2016-17.
Though once power house and popular Dhaka Wanderers Club are not in he race, two other popular clubs from old Dhaka namely Rahamatganj MFS and Farashganj may pose threat to the title aspirants.
We wish success of the league.

Peter Rozario
Dhaka