Competition There are 10 clubs in the BFL as of the
2025–26 season. During the course of a season (from September to April) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for 18 games. The winning team in a match shall be awarded 3 points, with the losing team receiving no point. If the match ends in a draw, each team shall receive 1 point. The number of goals scored and conceded by each team shall also be recorded. At the end of the season, the ranking of teams shall be determined first by the total number of points won. In situations where 2 teams are equal on points for the champion or bottom positions, a play-off shall be held. Both teams shall play one home and one away match. If the teams remain level on points after the second leg, extra time of two periods of 15 minutes each shall be played as part of the second-leg match. If still tied after extra time, kicks from the penalty mark shall determine the winner. The play-off match or matches shall be organized within 7 days of the last league match. In situations where more than 2 teams are tied on points for the champion or bottom positions, their rankings shall be determined in the following order: • Greater number of points obtained in league matches between the tied teams; • Goal difference from league matches between the tied teams; • Greater number of goals scored in league matches between the tied teams; • Goal difference in all league matches; • Fewer disciplinary points based on yellow and red cards (Yellow Card = 1 point; Two Yellows leading to Red = 2 points; Direct Red = 3 points; Yellow + Direct Red = 4 points); • Toss of a coin. For all other league positions, if teams are equal on points, ranking shall be determined first by goal difference (goals scored minus goals conceded in all matches). If still equal, the team with the greater number of goals scored shall rank higher. If still equal, the team with fewer disciplinary points (same card scoring system as above) shall rank higher. If still equal after all criteria, ranking shall be determined by a toss of a coin.
Promotion and relegation A system of promotion and relegation has existed between the Bangladesh Football League and the
Bangladesh Championship League since 2012. Each season, the two lowest-placed teams in the Bangladesh Football League are relegated to the, second-tier professional league, the Championship League, while the top two teams from the Championship League are promoted to the top tier, only if they meet the BFF Club Licensing Regulations for the following season. Before 2012, the winners of the
Dhaka Senior Division League were expected to earn promotion to the professional league. However, Senior Division clubs were unable to obtain the necessary professional league licenses, which meant that promotion and relegation did not function consistently until the
2011–12 season. Notably, in 2009, the lone edition of the
Bashundhara Club Cup Championship took place, with the champions and runners-up granted entry into the
2009–10 edition. ;Relegation Summary Bold indicates that the club withdrew from participating in the second-tier the following season.
Player regulations As of the
2025–26 season each participating club is entitled to register a maximum of thirty-six players, including a minimum of three goalkeepers. Clubs may register up to five foreign players, with no more than three permitted on the pitch simultaneously. In addition, teams may register up to four
SAARC players, all of whom are classified as local and eligible to play. The rules also require each club to include five age-level local players in its squad, with at least one mandated to appear in the starting eleven for every match. The season also saw the removal of the AFC player quota that had been implemented since 2018–19. In both the
2023–24 season and
2024–25 season, clubs were allowed to register up to a maximum of six foreign players. If a club registered more than five foreign players, then the sixth had to be from an
Asian Football Confederation (AFC)-affiliated Member Association. Additionally, in the 2024–25 season, amidst
political unrest, clubs were permitted to register a maximum of forty players including foreign players. Between the
2018–19 and
2021–22 seasons, a maximum of four foreign players were allowed, with the fourth required to be from an AFC-affiliated Member Association. In the
2010 season, the foreign quota was set at five players; however, after numerous national players were benched throughout the campaign, the Professional League Committee reduced the quota to four players from the
2011–12 season. The foreign quota was further reduced to three players from the
2014–15 season. In the
2015–16 season, clubs were allowed to register four foreign players, with three permitted on the pitch simultaneously. In the
2017–18 season, the quota was reduced back to three players; however, only two were eligible to play in a match at the same time. ==Clubs==