Bangladesh will begin their SAFF Championship campaign by taking on Sri Lanka in one of the two opening day matches on October 1 at the National Football Stadium in Maldives as the fixtures of the 13th edition were disclosed yesterday.

The regional football extravaganza has turned into a five-team competition after Bhutan failed to get permission from their government while Pakistan are banned by FIFA from taking part in any international tournament.

Following their opening match against Sri Lanka, the men in red and green will face two tough opponents – India and Maldives – before squaring off against Nepal in the final group match.