Dhaka League

Dhaka League is the premier regional football league in Bangladesh played by clubs in Dhaka. Until 2000, it was the top-tier league of the country.

History

First in 1948, a year after the independence of Pakistan and India the Dhaka League became the center of attraction for the people of Dhaka, which was then in East Pakistan in the 1960s. Sports clubs like Dhaka Wanderers and Mohammedan Sporting Club were the more successful ones and grew the base for league football among Bengalis. Dhaka's football grew popular and footballers from here were selected for the Pakistan national team.

After 23 seasons, the Dhaka League stopped for two years in Bangladesh's liberation war but continued the following year. In the years before 2000 it became the most renowned and premier football league in the country as no national league was introduced. It gained more fans and spectators than any other football competitions in Bangladesh but unfortunately the 2000s saw it losing its quality with top-level teams leaving for the national league.

The league produced premium clubs like Abahani Krira Chakra, Mohammedan Sporting Club, Muktijoddha Sangsad KS, Brothers Union and Sheikh Russell KC which are the "big fives" in the Bangladesh League today.

Dhaka League 2010 teams

Only the new Senior Division league (Bashundhara Senior Division Football League for sponsorship reasons) was held in 2010.

Senior Division

Super League clubs

• Fakirerpool Young Men's Club
• Victoria SC
• Jatrabari KC
• Wari Club
• Uttar Baridhara
• T&T Club Motijheel

Relegation League clubs

• Sunrise SC
• Dhaka Wanderers
• Badda Jagarani
• Mohakhali Ekadosh
• Agrani Bank
• Purbachal Parishad

N.B.Among the entrants of the Bangladesh League, only Arambagh enters the Dhaka League (clubs are forced to use separate teams for the two competitions).

Previous winners

1948: Victoria SC 1949: East Pakistan Gymkhana 1950: Dhaka Wanderers 1951: Dhaka Wanderers 1952: Bengal Government Press 1953: Dhaka Wanderers 1954: Dhaka Wanderers 1955: Dhaka Wanderers 1956: Dhaka Wanderers 1957: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1958: Azad Sporting

1959: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1960: Dhaka Wanderers 1961: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1962: Victoria SC 1963: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1964: Victoria SC 1965: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1966: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1967: East Pakistan IDC 1968: East Pakistan IDC 1969: Mohammedan Sporting Club

1970: East Pakistan IDC 1971: not held 1972: not finished 1973: Bangladesh JIC (same as EPIDC pre-1971) 1974: Abahani Krira Chakra 1975: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1976: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1977: Abahani Krira Chakra 1978: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1979: BJMC (Bangladesh Jute Mill Corp., same as BJIC and EPIDC) 1980: Mohammedan Sporting Club

1981: Abahani Krira Chakra 1982: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1983: Abahani Krira Chakra 1984: Abahani Krira Chakra 1985: Abahani Krira Chakra 1986: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1987: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1988-89: Mohammedan Sporting Club 1989-90: Abahani Ltd. 1991-92: Abahani Ltd.

Premier Division League

• 1993: Mohammedan Sporting Club
• 1994: Abahani Ltd.
• 1995: Abahani Ltd.
• 1996: Mohammedan Sporting Club
• 1997-98: Muktijoddha Sangsad KS
• 1999: Mohammedan Sporting Club
• 2000: Muktijoddha Sangsad KS
• 2001: Abahani Ltd.
• 2002: Mohammedan Sporting Club
• 2003-04: Brothers Union
• 2005: Brothers Union
• 2006: not played
• 2007-08: Fakirapool Young Men's Club
• 2008-09: not played
• 2010: Fakirapool Young Men's Club

Total Championships

The number of national championships that clubs in Dhaka have attained.

Club	Number of Championships
Mohammedan Sporting Club	19
Abahani Ltd.	11
Dhaka Wanderers	7
Bangladesh IDC [includes East Pakistan IDC]	4
Victoria SC	3
Muktijoddha Sangsad KS	2
Brothers Union	2
Bengal Government Press	1
Bangladesh Jute Mill Corporation	1
East Pakistan Gymkhana	1
Azad	1
Fakirerpool Young Men's Club	1