In the landscape of domestic football in Bangladesh, PWD Sports Club is a name that carries a rich history. The club, backed by the government’s Public Works Department (PWD), has been associated with Bangladeshi football since the post-independence era. Now, after three decades, PWD has secured its return to the top flight by confirming promotion to the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) for the upcoming season.
PWD confirmed their promotion after a commanding 3-0 victory over Little Friends Society in the Bangladesh Championship League (BCL), the second tier of national football. With 37 points from 15 matches, PWD stands second in the table, ahead of Arambagh (33 points) and City Club (27 points), with three matches remaining. Even if they lose all remaining fixtures, their second-place finish—and Premier League spot—remains guaranteed.
Despite their confirmed promotion, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has yet to officially acknowledge PWD’s achievement. Last season, BFF congratulated Bashundhara Kings via Facebook when they clinched the Premier League title early. But this time, there’s been silence for the BCL—a reflection of inconsistent treatment between the two leagues. The BCL standings are not regularly updated on official platforms, and journalists often have to gather information themselves. Although a separate Facebook page was created last season for the Championship League, this year, its updates have been irregular.
PWD team manager and Sub-Divisional Engineer of the department, Iftikhar Saad, expressed both joy and determination:
“Last year, we led the table for a long time but still missed promotion. This time, even though we haven’t clinched the title yet, our promotion to the Premier League is confirmed. Based on the records we have, it’s been around 30 years—since the 1993-94 season—since we last played top-tier football.”
Following independence, the First Division League was the highest level of football in Bangladesh, and PWD was a regular participant. In the early 1990s, the Premier Division was introduced, demoting the First Division to the second tier. PWD continued playing in the First Division for years. In 2007, the Premier League was rebranded as a professional competition, and four years later, in the 2011–12 season, the BCL was launched as the new second tier, pushing the First Division down to the third level. PWD has played in the BCL for the past 2–3 seasons and will finally return to the top tier next season.
Historically, many clubs that earned promotion from the BCL opted out of playing in the Premier League due to financial constraints. Building a competitive squad can require a minimum investment of BDT 3–4 crore, with even more needed for year-round training and camp operations. However, PWD appears ready to take on that challenge.
“Our club was founded in 1954. We’ve already started the registration and other formalities required to compete in the Premier League. The higher authorities have committed to supporting us in forming a Premier League-standard squad,” said Saad.
PWD Sports Club is governed by an executive committee under the Public Works Department. In addition to football, the club also participates in top-tier hockey, playing in the First Division of domestic hockey in Bangladesh.
UA / TDS
