The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) appears ready to turn the fans’ passion into profit. Riding on a new wave of football fever sparked by Hamza, Shamit and the national team’s recent resurgence, the federation has decided to raise ticket prices for the high-voltage Bangladesh-India AFC Asian Cup Qualifier, scheduled for 18 November at the National Stadium.

Wherever the red-and-green take the field these days, the stands have been bursting at the seams. From the electrifying night against Singapore in June to the packed houses for Hong Kong, China in October, ticket demand has been sky-high — and the BFF clearly doesn’t want to miss the opportunity. 

This time, they want to “make the most of the moment.” Tickets go on sale online from Monday at 2 PM, but fans hoping to cheer on their heroes will have to pay more than before.

The general gallery ticket, once Tk 400, has now been marked up to Tk 500. “The demand is huge, and we deliberately fixed it at Tk 500,” said Tajwar Awal, a member of BFF’s Competition Committee. 

“It’s Bangladesh versus India — a high-voltage regional clash with massive fan interest. Still, we haven’t increased it too much,” he added, though many supporters might beg to differ.

And the price hike doesn’t stop there. The premium categories have also climbed sharply — Club House 2 tickets that cost Tk 2,000 before now stand at Tk 3,000, while Club House 1 is Tk 5,000, VIP 2 at Tk 4,000, VIP 3 at Tk 3,000, and the Corporate Box — the most exclusive seat in the stadium — will set fans back a hefty Tk 8,000.

What makes the move even more eyebrow-raising is the contrast with BFF’s approach to the November 13 friendly against Nepal, where they actually slashed prices to encourage turnout — Tk 300 for the general gallery and Tk 1,000 for the highest tier. Yet despite the discount, the response was lukewarm, with over half the tickets remaining unsold.

Now, with India arriving in Dhaka, the federation seems determined to flip the script — from empty seats to overflowing stands, from discounts to demand-driven pricing. For the fans, it’s about pride and passion; for BFF, it’s clearly about profit and practicality.