Inaugurated in 1954, the stadium was never renovated till 2001. Over the years number of shops on the structure increased so rapidly that the officials lost control over the expansion. More shops were allocated when the national stadium was made double storied in 1978 prior to Asian Youth Football Tournament.

The owners of the shops, commercial spaces and especially restaurant owners started altering the structures according to their own convenience.

At present, there are 269 shops in the stadium on both floors. A source said that some of the shop owners expanded their office rooms by digging the slanting end and creating underground spaces. Also kitchens and even water reservoirs were made by some of the restaurants which are posing severe threat to the foundation of such a big construction.

Moreover, numerous cracks have appeared on the stadium structures especially on the closest side to Moulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium.

The Bangabandhu National Stadium has an official capacity of accommodating 33,000 people, providing a space of fourteen inches for each person. In addition, VIP galleries can accommodate 3000 people.

However, during a popular occasion, more than double its capacity is crammed in by unscrupulous gatekeepers and police. Around 75,000 people are crammed inside the stadium during a good football or cricket match. The public entrances of the stadium are so narrow and dark that there is also a risk of a serious stampede incident during a sporting event.

The Bangabandhu stadium has turned into a commercial hub generating legal and illegal income for different people. A ruling party leader has his dairy farm set up on the stadium premises.

Commercial activities in the stadium area are so lucrative that possession of each of the shops might cost as much as Tk 2 Crore. The National Sports Council (NSC) receives a monthly rent of Tk 10 per square feet from the shops on ground floor and Tk 9 from shops on the first floor. Yearly allocation of Tk 10 lakh is grossly insufficient for the NSC to conduct maintenance on the stadium, NSC officials claimed.

However, a group of NSC people along with the police is allegedly collecting 'rents' from hundreds of illegal shops in the area. They also collect tolls from hawkers. Moreover, new shops are being allocated near the swimming pool in the name of union office renovation, said sources inside NSC.

The NSC in a survey of the stadium in 1985 revealed that the whole stadium structure was endangered. The next survey was conducted in the mid eighties by a committee comprising teachers from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). However, nothing was done till 2001, when authorities took up minor repair works.

A fresh committee comprising chief engineer of the Public Works Department and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), chief architect of the government and Dr. Shamimuzzaman from BUET decided to renovate the stadium rather than dismantling it. The renovation works would be done in phases. The renovation work is expected to make the stadium befitting for next twenty-five years, officials claimed.