National Football League (Bangladesh)

The National Football League (জাতীয় ফুটবল লীগ) was a semi-professional association football league in Bangladesh, and the first football league in the country to be organized on a national scale.

From 2000 to 2006, the National Football League was contested by club champions from various districts (Chittagong, Rajshahi, Barishal, and Sylhet), in addition to the top three finishing teams from the country's premier division at the time, the Dhaka Premier Division League (Dhaka League).

In 2006, the league was folded, as the Dhaka Premier Division League was replaced by the country's first professional top-tier national league, the Bangladesh Premier League.

History
In 2000, the Bangladesh Football Federation established the National Football League (NFL), which was played alongside the country's top-tier league at the time, the Dhaka Premier Division League (Dhaka League). The league was introduced in order for different district champions to get a better platform, as the top-tier league only featured clubs from Dhaka.

The league included the top 3 finishing teams from each Dhaka Premier Division League season, along with district league champions of Chittagong, Rajshahi and the winners of a playoff between the champions of Sylhet and Barisal. From the 2003 season, the winners of the National League were given a spot in the group-stages of the AFC Cup instead of Dhaka Premier Division League champions.

From 2005 to 2007, the Dhaka Premier Division League was not held, which meant the National Football League was the only functioning competition which had the country's top clubs participate, aside from than the domestic cup competitions.

In 2007, the Bangladesh Premier League replaced the Dhaka Premier Division League as the country's top tier. This marked the beginning of Bangladesh's first professional football league contested on a national scale, which meant that a National Football League would no longer be required.

Sponsorship
Nitol-Tata Group was the title sponsor of the entirety of the competition. For sponsorship reason, the competition was also known as Nitol-Tata National Football League.