SPORTS REPORTER

Foreign footballers dominated Bangladesh Football League’s mid-term transfer window, which concluded on Saturday.

Across the window, seven clubs completed 49 new signings, excluding FIFA-suspended Bashundhara Kings, Abahani and Mohammedan. Of those additions, 20 were foreign players -- seven Pakistanis, five Guineans, three each from Bhutan and Ghana, and one each from Brazil and Russia. The remaining 29 signings were local players, with around 10 switching clubs from within the league.

Brothers Union, currently seventh in the 10-team standings, brought in 16 players in total, featuring five from Pakistan and four from Guinea, after releasing seven footballers -- three from Nepal, one Brazilian, one Ivorian and two locals .

Title challengers Fortis FC made only two additions, signing goalkeeper Nayeem Mia and Bhutanese winger Dawa Tshering. Rahmatganj MFS, meanwhile, recruited Ghanaian striker Ernest Boateng to bolster their bid to close the gap on table-toppers and five-time champions Kings, who also released four players.

At the lower end of the table, PWD and Arambagh also moved to reinforce their squads in the fight for survival. PWD signed two Pakistani players along with one each from Bhutan, Ghana, Brazil and Russia, in addition to six local recruits.

Arambagh added Ghanaian forward Kwame Kizito and seven local players, while mid-table Bangladesh Police signed five footballers, including Bhutan’s Sherub Dorji. Fakirerpool Young Men’s Club were also active, bringing in six players, among them a Guinean forward.