Rangpur Stadium
Rangpur Stadium is a cricket and football ground behind Police Lines School and College, Rangpur, and Islampur Jame Mosque in the city of Rangpur, Bangladesh. It is on the north side of Rangpur Cricket Garden. It has a capacity of 25,000.
History
Planning for a stadium in Rangpur began in 1963. In a series of false starts, three foundation stones were laid at three different sites. Finally, 13 acres in the Hanumatola area were acquired for the project. By the middle of May 1968, preliminary work had begun there. Quazi Azhar Ali, deputy commissioner, Rangpur, and chairman of the Stadium Committee, laid a fourth foundation stone on 12 September 1968.The provincial government contributed 1 million Pakistani rupees, while the central government put in Rs 40,000, and public contributions raised Rs 24,000. Construction was projected to cost Rs 1.75 million over 10 years. The first phase budgeted Rs 350,000 to construct a pavilion for spectators. Building proceeded in fits and starts due to shortages of materials and funds.
The partly finished stadium was inaugurated on 16 June 1969. In an exhibition football match that day, Rangpur XI defeated EPG Press XI, Dacca, by four goals to nil.
The stadium is owned by the National Sports Council. The Rangpur District Sports Association manages it and is responsible for maintenance. Long neglected, part of the stadium was derelict by 2015. The [Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star] described it in 2020 as abandoned and overgrown, with large holes in the field.
In 2019, the Ministry of Youth and Sports allocated 411.8 million Bangladeshi taka for improvements. The work was finished in November 2022. On 28 May 2022, the stadium was renamed Sheikh Russell Stadium.
On 8 September 2025, the stadium was renamed again to Shaheed Abu Sayeed Stadium.