ABG Sports City Making History in Bangladesh’s Sporting Arena

One of the longstanding challenges facing Bangladesh’s sporting sector has been the lack of modern infrastructure. Opportunities to develop a comprehensive sporting environment—with international-standard venues, advanced training facilities, gyms for athletes and rehabilitation services—have remained limited. Against this backdrop, ABG Sports City, developed in the Bashundhara Residential Area of the capital, has opened new avenues for sports in Bangladesh. By creating modern facilities for a range of disciplines, from football and cricket to squash and hockey, the sports complex is not only transforming infrastructure but also reshaping the environment and culture of sporting activities.

Spread across approximately 300 bighas of land, ABG Sports City is a notable example of private-sector investment in Bangladesh’s sporting arena. The initiative reflects Bashundhara Group’s long-term planning, investment, and commitment to sports. Such integrated sports infrastructure developed by a private corporate organisation is rare in South Asia. As a result, ABG Sports City is establishing a distinct identity in the country’s sports sector while creating opportunities to showcase Bangladesh’s capabilities on the international stage.

Bashundhara Group, which has been expanding its business operations since the 1980s while engaging in various social responsibility initiatives, began developing the sports city in 2019. Its primary objective is not merely to build playing fields but also to encourage the younger generation to participate in sports, create opportunities for talented athletes to develop their skills and advance the country’s sporting sector to international standards. To achieve these goals, the group has gradually developed the necessary infrastructure for football, cricket and other disciplines.

ABG Sports City is a practical example of how private-sector participation can bring significant changes to the development of sports in Bangladesh. Regular sporting activities at its grounds and training centres are generating renewed interest among young people. At the same time, opportunities are expanding to pursue sports as recreation, a means of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a profession. Initiatives of this kind can also play an important role in keeping young people away from drug addiction and negative activities while supporting their physical and mental development.

One of the main attractions of ABG Sports City is Bashundhara Kings Arena. Designed to accommodate international football, the venue has already established an important position in Bangladesh’s sporting arena. When the National Stadium became unsuitable for hosting international football matches, Kings Arena emerged as an effective alternative for the country. The venue has hosted home matches in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, AFC Cup matches and South Asian age-group women’s football competitions. It has therefore also played an important role in reducing dependence on overseas venues for hosting international matches.

Another indication of Kings Arena’s international recognition came with a visit by a technical delegation associated with Brazil’s national football team. In August, ahead of a FIFA friendly match involving India against Brazil, a technical team visited Bangladesh to assess the grounds and facilities at the venues. The delegation inspected the National Stadium in Dhaka and Bashundhara Kings Arena. The delegation praised Kings Arena’s pitch, training ground, players’ gym and recovery facilities, describing them as meeting international standards. Such recognition represents not only the success of a sporting venue but also a positive message for Bangladesh’s sports system.

Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan envisions long-term transformation in the sporting arena. The development of the sports city under his initiative places particular emphasis on the younger generation. His four sons—Sadat Sobhan Tanvir, Safiat Sobhan Sanvir, Sayem Sobhan Anvir and Safwan Sobhan Tasvir—are helping advance the initiative through their interest in and support for sports. Their objective is not merely to establish their own sporting institutions but also to expand and energise sporting activities across the country.

ABG Chairman Sayem Sobhan Anvir believes there is considerable scope to create new opportunities for football in Bangladesh. In a statement published in Kaler Kantho on 18 October 2021, he said that although football is one of the world’s most popular and attractive sports, it has not received the expected level of importance in Bangladesh. He expressed hope that the academy at Bashundhara Sports Complex would produce quality footballers in the future and that greater involvement by other business organisations in sports would accelerate the development of the country’s sporting sector. He also dreams of seeing Bangladesh compete on the FIFA World Cup football stage.

Legendary hockey player and sports personality Abdus Sadeque has positively assessed Bashundhara Group’s contribution to the country’s sporting arena. In a statement published in Kaler Kantho on 12 January 2026, he said Bashundhara Group had taken a major step forward in the country’s sports sector by developing grounds, stadiums and infrastructure for different disciplines. He also highlighted the success of Bashundhara Kings, the group’s interest in cricket, the installation of a hockey turf and initiatives to promote padel tennis in Bangladesh. In his view, sports in the country would become more prosperous if other business organisations also came forward to form teams and provide sponsorship.

Mohammad Imrul Hasan, Director of ABG Sports City, Senior Vice-President of the Bangladesh Football Federation, President of Bashundhara Kings and Deputy Managing Director of Bashundhara Group, said Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and his family members are well known for their passion for sports. Their objective is to present Bangladesh positively on the international stage through sports and enhance the country’s profile. According to him, the chairman has consistently provided positive support for the development of sports. They are hopeful that the benefits of the initiatives undertaken at ABG Sports City will become more evident in the country’s sporting arena over the next few years.

According to Imrul Hasan, the development of modern sports infrastructure is expanding opportunities for training and competition across different disciplines. It is also creating new employment opportunities. The sports city also provides ways to engage young people in sports and encourage them to adopt healthier lifestyles.

On 17 February 2022, Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan formally inaugurated Bashundhara Kings Arena. The venue hosted its first international match against Afghanistan on 3 September the following year. Since then, its activities have expanded through international and domestic football events.

With the aim of developing the next generation of footballers, a non-residential football academy was launched at ABG Sports City on 5 October 2024. There are plans to introduce a residential academy once construction of the dormitory is completed. This will create opportunities to provide regular training to talented young players and develop them into skilled footballers. Those involved hope that the academy will eventually produce players capable of competing at the national level.

Progress is also being made in cricket alongside football. The Bangladesh team has played an international match against Malaysia at Anvir Cricket Stadium. Plans are also in place to host warm-up matches ahead of visits by international teams. In addition to international fixtures, matches in the Premier Cricket League have been held at the venue. At the same time, the ABG Cricket Network team has begun participating in the cricket league. These activities are expanding opportunities for cricket training, competition and player development.

Activities in disciplines beyond football and cricket are also increasing at ABG Sports City. An international squash competition was recently held there, featuring players from 11 countries, including Bangladesh. The second edition of the international combat sports competition Zulcan Fighting Championship, titled ‘ZFC-2: Pride of Bangladesh’, was also organised with participants from seven countries.

To promote sports at the university level, an initiative has been taken this month to organise football and cricket tournaments involving 10 private universities in each competition. Plans are in place to expand the scope of these competitions in the future. The initiative will create new opportunities to engage university students in regular sporting activities while supporting the development of their talents.

Work on installing an astroturf for hockey is also nearing completion. Once operational, it will expand opportunities for training and competition in a modern environment. It will also create the potential to host international hockey matches and tournaments in the future. By developing infrastructure for multiple disciplines, ABG Sports City is evolving into a multifaceted sports centre.

As part of its future plans, ABG Sports City has decided to name several important facilities. The cricket stadium will be named ‘Shah Alam Cricket Stadium’, the hockey stadium ‘Abdus Sadeque Stadium’ and the international-standard swimming pool ‘Abdus Sobhan Swimming Pool’.

Naming sports facilities after Shah Alam and Abdus Sadeque will provide an opportunity to recognise the contributions of personalities associated with the country’s sporting arena. Abdus Sobhan, meanwhile, was the father of Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and one of the first-batch students of the University of Dhaka. He was a skilled swimmer and competed for the then Bengal team. Naming the swimming pool after him is intended to honour his sporting background.

ABG Sports City is also planning an innovative sports and entertainment festival involving several of the country’s traditional clubs. If implemented, the initiative will increase participation among sports enthusiasts and create new opportunities for interaction and competition between different clubs.

The development of sports in Bangladesh depends on more than talented athletes. It requires regular training, modern infrastructure, efficient management, opportunities for competition and long-term sponsorship. ABG Sports City has created the potential to make progress in all these areas simultaneously.

The development of grounds and training facilities for different disciplines, the hosting of international competitions, academy-based player development and efforts to encourage young people to participate in sports collectively make the sports city an important addition to Bangladesh’s sporting arena. As its activities expand, it will create further opportunities to develop new players, generate sports-related employment and enhance Bangladesh’s profile internationally.

Bashundhara Group’s initiative could also encourage other business organisations in the country to invest in sports infrastructure and sponsorship in the future. In that case, the significance of ABG Sports City could extend beyond the boundaries of a sports complex and become part of a broader sporting movement. With its ambition to make Bangladesh’s sporting sector more organised, modern and internationally competitive, ABG Sports City has already secured a significant place in that journey.