Bangladesh's First Division Hockey League is set to return to the field after a three-year absence, with the decision taken at the first meeting of the newly formed First Division League Committee at the Bangladesh Hockey Federation on Tuesday.

The meeting was chaired by Harun-or-Rashid, Deputy Commissioner of Police of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Motijheel Division, with federation officials and representatives of all 11 participating clubs in attendance.

Clubs had previously been reluctant to compete for various reasons, but responded positively after the new committee took charge.

Each club had initially demanded a financial grant of Tk 5 lakh, an amount the federation was unable to provide in full under current circumstances.

The federation's general secretary instead proposed a grant of Tk 2.5 lakh per club, and all 11 clubs agreed to return to competition on that basis.

Player transfers have been scheduled for 6 and 7 September, with matches beginning on 20 September. The league will be played in a single-league format, with no foreign players permitted this season.

The decision to exclude overseas players was taken to increase opportunities for local talent and help identify emerging players from within the country.

Each club will be allowed to register a maximum of 22 players, with up to four drawn from BKSP and up to four from the three armed forces, the Army, Navy and Air Force.