NB: tournament (usually) open to the top-8 teams of the league; occasionally
Indian sides were invited
ed year winners runners-up
1 1980 joint winners: Mohammedan SC 0-0 Brothers Union
2 1981 Mohammedan SC 2-0 Abahani KC
3 1982 joint winners: Mohammedan SC 0-0 Abahani KC
4 1983 Mohammedan SC 2-0 Abahani KC
5 1984 final (Mohammedan SC vs Abahani KC) abandoned at 0-0 due to riots
6 1985 Abahani KC 1-0 Brothers Union
7 1986 Abahani KC 2-1 Brothers Union
8 1987 Mohammedan SC 1-0 Dhaka Wanderers
9 1988 Abahani KC 1-0 Mohammedan SC
10 1989 Mohammedan SC 2-1 Abahani KC [aet]
1990 no competition
11 1991 Brothers Union 0-0 Mohammedan SC [aet, 4-2 pen]
1992-93 no competition
12 1994 Muktijoddha SKC 3-2 Abahani Ltd.
13 1995 Mohammedan SC 0-0 Abahani Ltd. [aet, 6-5 pen]
1996 no competition
14 1997 Abahani Ltd. 2-1 Arambagh KS
1998 no competition
15 1999 Abahani Ltd. 0-0 Muktijoddha SKC [aet, 5-3 pen]
16 2000 Abahani Ltd. 2-1 Mohammedan SC
17 2001 Muktijoddha SKC 3-0 Arambagh KS
18 2002 Mohammedan SC 1-0 Muktijoddha SKC
19 2003 Muktijoddha SKC 2-1 Mohammedan SC [asdet]
2004 no competition
20 2005 Brothers Union 1-0 Muktijoddha SKC
2006-07 no competition
21 2008 Mohammedan SC 1-1 Abahani Ltd. [aet, 3-2 pen]
22 2009 Mohammedan SC 0-0 Abahani Ltd. [aet, 4-1 pen]
23 2010 Abahani Ltd. 5-3 Lt. Sheikh Jamal DC [aet]
24 2011/12 Lt. Sheikh Jamal DC 3-1 Team BJMC
25 2012 Sheikh Russel KC 2-1 Lt. Sheikh Jamal DC [aet]
26 2013 Lt. Sheikh Jamal DC 1-0 Muktijoddha SKC
27 2015 Lt. Sheikh Jamal DC 6-4 Muktijoddha SKC [aet]
28 2016 Abahani Ltd. 1-0 Arambagh KS
29 2017 Abahani Ltd. 3-1 Chittagong Abahani Ltd.
30 2018 Abahani Ltd. 3-1 Bashundara Kings
31 2019/20 Bashundara Kings 2-1 Rahmatganj MFS
32 2020/21 Bashundara Kings 1-0 Saif Sporting Club
33 2021/22 Abahani Ltd. 2-1 Rahmatganj MFS
34 2022/23 Mohammedan SC 4-4 Abahani Ltd. [aet, 4-2 pen]
35 2023/24 Bashundara Kings 2-1 Mohammedan SC [aet]
36 2024/25 Bashundara Kings 1-1 Abahani Ltd. [aet, 5-3 pen]
Number of Wins [37, runners-up finishes (33) between square brackets]
12 [ 9] Abahani Ltd. (includes Abahani KC) (1 win shared)
11 [ 5] Mohammedan SC (2 wins shared)
4 [ 1] Bashundara Kings
3 [ 5] Muktijoddha SKC
3 [ 2] Lt. Sheikh Jamal DC (formerly Dhanmondi Club)
3 [ 2] Brothers Union (1 win shared)
1 Sheikh Russel KC
[ 3] Arambagh KS
[ 2] Rahmatganj MFS
[ 1] Chittagong Abahani Ltd.
[ 1] Dhaka Wanderers
[ 1] Saif Sporting Club
[ 1] Team BJMC (BJMC = Bangladesh Jute Mill Corporation)
NB: the first and third editions were shared, the fifth not awarded
2009 Mohammedan 1-0 Dhaka Abahani [Mar 11] 2010 not held 2011 Dhaka Abahani 2-2 Mohammedan [5-4 pen] [Aug 6] 2012 not held 2013 Mohammedan 1-1 Sheikh Russel [4-2 pen] [Jun 25] Number of League-and-Federation-Cup Doubles (10) 4 Abahani Ltd. [2000, 2010, 2016, 2017/18] 2 Lt. Sheikh Jamal DC [2013/14, 2015] 1 Bashundara Kings [2023/24] 1 Mohammedan SC [2002] 1 Muktijoddha SKC [2003] 1 Sheikh Russel KC [2012/13]
The invitational knockout tournament was alternately referred to as the Pakistan Day Football Tournament or
the Azadi Day Football Tournament. Aside from clubs, it was also open to service teams, divisional teams
and universities. It was held in honour of Pakistan's independence in Dhaka, East Pakistan, prior to the
independence of Bangladesh. The final was held annually on 14 August, Pakistan's Independence Day.
The current Independence Cup (honouring the independence of Bangladesh) can be seen as a successor tournament.
Edition Year Champions Runners-up Score
1 1948 East Bengal Railway n/a n/a
2 1949 Dhaka University Dhaka City XI 2-1 [aet]; 1-1
3 1950 Dhaka City XI East Bengal Railway 1-0
1951 not held
1952 not held
4 1953 Dhaka University East Bengal Railway 2-1 [aet]; 1-1, n/a
5 1954 I.G. Police XI Dhaka City XI 1-0
6 1955 Dhaka Wanderers I.G. Police XI 2-1
7 1956 EP Secretariat XI Dhaka Wanderers 2-1
8 1957 Dhaka Wanderers & Police AC (joint winners) 1-1 [aet]
9 1958 Mohammedan SC Dhaka University 2-1
10 1959 Azad SC & Police AC (joint winners) 0-0 [aet]
11 1960 Mohammedan SC Dhaka Wanderers 1-0
12 1961 Mohammedan SC & Victoria SC (joint winners) 2-2
13 1962 Victoria SC Mohammedan SC 2-0
14 1963 Dhaka Wanderers & Mohammedan SC (joint winners) 1-1
15 1964 Victoria SC Mohammedan SC 1-0
16 1965 Mohammedan SC Victoria SC 3-0
17 1966 Dhaka Wanderers & Mohammedan SC (joint winners) 1-1
18 1967 EPIDC Mohammedan SC 4-0
19 1968 EPIDC Mohammedan SC 2-0
20 1969 EPIDC Dilkusha SC 3-2
21 1970 final (EPIDC v Mohammedan SC) abandoned at 2-0 due to riots which saw four spectators killed and 200 injured
ed year winners runners-up 1 1972 Dhaka Mohammedan 3-1 East End Club 2 1975 BIDC 1-0 Police AC 3 1990 Dhaka Abahani 2-1 Dhaka Mohammedan 4 1991 Dhaka Mohammedan 1-1 Dhaka Abahani [4-2 pen] 5 2005 Muktijoddha Sangsad 2-0 Brothers Union 6 2011 Farashganj 1-1 Sheikh Russel [5-4 pen] 7 2013 Sheikh Russel 3-2 Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi 8 2014 Dhaka Mohammedan 0-0 Feni Soccer Club [5-4 pen] 9 2016 Chittagong Abahani 2-0 Dhaka Abahani 10 2018 Arambagh 2-0 Chittagong Abahani 11 2018 Bashundara Kings 2-1 Sheikh Russel [aet] 12 2021 Dhaka Abahani 3-0 Bashundara Kings 13 2022 Bashundara Kings 2-2 Sheikh Russel [aet, 4-1 pen] 14 2023 Bashundara Kings 2-1 Dhaka Mohammedan NB: not held in missing years Number of Wins [14, runners-up finishes (14) between square brackets] 3 [ 2] Mohammedan SC 3 [ 1] Bashundara Kings 2 [ 2] Abahani Ltd. 1 [ 3] Sheikh Russel KC 1 [ 1] Chittagong Abahani Ltd. 1 Arambagh KS 1 BIDC 1 Farashganj SC 1 Muktijoddha SKC [ 1] Brothers Union [ 1] East End Club [ 1] Feni Soccer Club [ 1] Police AC [ 1] Lt. Sheikh Jamal DC Number of League-Federation-Cup-and-Independence-Cup Trebles (2) 1 Bashundara Kings [2023/24] 1 Sheikh Russel KC [2012/13]
NB: "Tiger of Bengal" Gold Cup was named after national hero Abdul Kashem Fazhul Hogue;
it was contested by provincial selections
ed year winners runners-up
1 1973 Dhaka District Kushtia District
2 1974 Dhaka District Barisal District
3 1975 Dhaka District Chittagong District
4 1976 Jessore Ditrict Rajshahi District
5 1977 Kushtia District Chittagong District
6 1978 Barisal District Rangpur District
7 1979 Barisal District Dhaka District
8 1980 joint winners: Bangladesh Army and Dhaka University
9 1981 joint winners: Bangladesh Army and Dhaka University
10 1982 Khulna District Bangladesh Army
11 1983 Sylhet District Dhaka District
12 1984 Feni District 1-1 Dhaka District [5-4 pen]
13 1985 Comilla District 3-0 Dhaka University [final played in 1986]
14 1986 Dhaka District Comilla District
1987-88 no competition
15 1989 Bangladesh Army Dhaka University
16 1990 Dhaka University Bangladesh Army
1991 no competition
17 1992 Dhaka University 2-0 Khulna District
18 1993 Khulna District Feni District
19 1994 Bhola District 2-1 Dhaka University
1995 no competition
20 1996 Dhaka University Narayanganj District
1997-99 no competition
21 2000 Noakhali District 2-1 Bangladesh Army
2001-03 no competition
22 2004 Narayanganj District 2-1 Bangladesh Army
2005 no competition
23 2006 Narayanganj District 0-0 Dhaka District [3-1 pen]
NB: not held since 2006 although a new edition was announced for March 2016, but that
does not seem to have materialised; instead a new "Independence Cup" featuring
top flight club teams was organised.
Number of Wins [25, runners-up finishes (21) between square brackets]
5 [ 3] Dhaka University (2 wins shared)
4 [ 4] Dhaka District
3 [ 4] Bangladesh Army (2 wins shared)
2 [ 1] Barisal District
2 [ 1] Khulna District
2 [ 1] Narayanganj District
1 [ 1] Comilla District
1 [ 1] Feni District
1 [ 1] Kushtia District
1 Bhola District
1 Jessore Ditrict
1 Noakhali District
1 Sylhet District
[ 2] Chittagong District
[ 1] Rajshahi District
[ 1] Rangpur District
The tournament was initially held in Dhaka in honor of the Earl of Ronaldshay, and later shifted to Chittagong in 1960. It was referred to as the blue riband of football in East Bengal and later in East Pakistan, until its shift to Chittagong. Known Years Champions Runners-up Score 1924 Dacca University n/a n/a 1927 Victoria SC n/a n/a 1937 Dacca University Wari Club n/a 1940 Dacca Farm SC Sylhet Town Club 1-0 1942 Wari Club Victoria SC 4-0 1949 Dhaka Wanderers Club & Comilla Mohammedan (joint winners) 0-0 1950 Fire Service AC Comilla Police AC n/a 1951 East Bengal Railway n/a n/a 1952 East Bengal Railway East Bengal Government Press 2-0 1953 East Bengal Government Press Azad SC 3-0 1954 not held 1955 Azad SC Comilla Young Men's Club 1-0 1956 Birendra Club PWD SC 2-0 1957 Keamari Mohammedan Dhaka Mohammedan 2-1 1958 Keamari Mohammedan P&T (R.M.S) Sports Club 3-1 1959 Dhaka Wanderers Club & Rangers Club, Lahore (joint winners) 0-0 1962 Jagannath College Pakistan Eastern Railway 1-0, 2-2 1967 Pakistan Eastern Railway Dhaka University 1-0
Sources included: [Tra 02], AFC Guide 2002, Bangladesh FF; for Independence Day Football Tournament: The Pakistan Observer (later renamed as The Bangladesh Observer), The Azad Newspaper, Krira Jagat Magazine
Prepared and maintained by Faaris Na'il Hossain, Ian King, Hans Schöggl and Erlan Manaschev for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Authors: Faaris Na'il Hossain, Ian King, Hans Schöggl and Erlan Manaschev
Last updated: 23 Jan 2026
(C) Copyright Faaris Na'il Hossain,
Ian King, Hans Schöggl, Erlan Manaschev and RSSSF 2003/26
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper
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