State Minister for Youth and Sports Md. Aminul Haque has announced that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to inaugurate “Notun Kuri Sports” programme on April 30 next with an aim to hunt talented athletes from the grassroots level.
He make the announcement on the first meeting of the central committee formed to determine and implement playgrounds across cities and rural areas nationwide held on Saturday at the conference room of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the capital, according to an official handout.
Aminul Haque chaired the meeting while State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam and State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahammad Sohel Monzoor were present at the meeting.
In his remarks, Aminul Haque said efforts are underway to recognize sports as a professional career and to introduce a structured salary framework for players at all levels of the national teams.
He emphasized that playgrounds are essential for building a drug-free society and for keeping the younger generation away from excessive dependence on digital devices.
During the meeting, several key decisions were taken to ensure greater opportunities for sports across the country.
It was decided that land will be allocated for establishing a permanent playground at a central location in every union and one playground in each upazila.
In Dhaka, a playground of 3 to 4 bighas will be set up between every two to three wards of the metropolitan area. In addition, a modern futsal ground will be established in every ward of the capital.
The meeting also decided to identify unused or abandoned lands across the country and take necessary administrative measures to make them suitable for use as playgrounds. After the identification procedure, a committee of secretaries will be formed to inspect the proposed sites.
Senior officials from the relevant ministries attended the meeting. Authorities were also instructed to prepare a coordinated action plan to ensure the swift implementation of the decisions aimed at strengthening the country’s sports infrastructure.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
