Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football is set to begin on Friday at four venues across the country.
Four first-round matches of the 10-team league will be held on the opening day.
Defending champions Bashundhara Kings will play Brothers Union Club at 4:30 pm in the first round match at their home ground, Bashundhara Kings Arena in the capital, on the opening day, reports UNB.
Former champions Dhaka Abahani Limited will play Rahmatganj MFS at 2:30 pm at the Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Stadium in Gopalganj; Mohammedan SC will face Fortis SC at 2:30 pm at Muktijoddha Smrity Stadium in Rajshahi; and Bangladesh Police will meet Chittagong Abahani at 2:30 pm at Rafique Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh in other first round matches on the opening day.
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club will play Sheikh Russel KC in the remaining first-round match on Saturday (December 23) at 2:30 pm at the Bashundhara Kings Arena.
The second round of matches will be held on December 29 and 30.
The BPL matches will be on every Friday and Saturday of the week, while the Federation Cup football matches will kick off on December 26, and be held every Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the ceremonial draw of the 10-team Federation Cup Football Tournament was held earlier, with two arch-rivals, Dhaka Mohammedan SC and Dhaka Abahani Ltd, putting themselves in the same group.
All 10 Premier League teams, split into three groups, will compete in the first phase of the Federation Cup of Football, initially on a league basis, beginning on December 26.
The matches will be held in the country's three different venues: the Basundhara Kings Arena, Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni in Gopalganj, and Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj.
Two matches will be held on the opening day (December 26).
Bangladesh Police will play Rahmatganj MFS in a Group A match at the Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj, while Bashundhara Kings will face Fortis FC in a Group C match at the Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Stadium in Gopalganj. Both will kick off at 2:30 pm on the day.
Grouping are:
Group A: Bangladesh Police FC, Sheikh Jamal DC and Rahmatganj MFS.
Group B: Dhaka Abahani Ltd, Dhaka Mohammedan SC, Chittagong Abahani Ltd, Brothers Union Club.
Group C: Bashundhara Kings, Sheikh Russel KC, and Fortis FC.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
