Dhaka, Sept. 16 -- The government is taking back the 4.31 hectares playground in Dhanmondi that Abahani Limited Dhaka has held under a 99-year lease, ending the football club's control over the ground.

The facility will be renamed Dhanmondi Cricket Field, with the formal handover scheduled for Thursday, the Ministry of Youth and Sports said in a statement.

Following the handover, the field will come under the sports ministry and be opened to the public.

Located in Dhanmondi, the playground has been associated with Abahani since the club's establishment in 1972.

The club secured a 99-year lease in phases, with most of the land leased in 1998 and the remaining 0.36 hectare in 2010.

An official from the Ministry of Housing and Public Wo...