Kings get more time as licensing deadline extends again

 
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has extended the club licensing deadline by another four days, giving reigning Bangladesh Football League champions Bashundhara Kings until September 1 to complete the process.

The latest deadline for club licensing expired on Friday, but Bashundhara Kings and Fakirerpool Young Men's Club remain unable to secure licences due to FIFA-imposed registration bans.

Bashundhara currently have four registration bans in force. However, the club has already cleared the outstanding payments to the concerned players and submitted the relevant bank documents to the federation. The remaining formalities with FIFA may take another two or three working days, according to sources familiar with the matter.

A reliable BFF source confirmed that the federation has decided to give the five-time league champions additional time until September 1 to complete their club licensing.

The extension comes at a crucial stage of the domestic transfer window, which is scheduled to close on 3 September. While the BFF has shown flexibility over the licensing deadline, there is no scope to extend the player registration period beyond 3 September.

Fakirerpool Young Men's Club, who have been given another opportunity to compete in the Bangladesh Football League despite being relegated last season, are also facing two FIFA registration bans. The club has reportedly reached agreements with the two concerned players, but proof of payment through bank documents has yet to be submitted to the federation.

Earlier this month, Dhaka Abahani finally succeeded in getting their FIFA registration ban lifted after resolving outstanding payment disputes, allowing the traditional club to resume their transfer activities. Abahani have since been active in the market and are understood to have strengthened their foreign contingent, including a Nigerian footballer who featured at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Under the BFF's current calendar, the new domestic season is scheduled to begin on 18 September, with the Federation Cup set to follow from 22 September. However, uncertainty remains over whether the league can actually begin as planned, with the transfer deadline only days away and clubs still racing against time to finalise their squads.

The BFF's club licensing regulations require participating clubs to fulfil financial and other mandatory criteria before being cleared for the season.