Bangladesh’s dream Olympic Complex becomes reality

Bangladesh has taken a major step toward building a modern sports infrastructure with the foundation stone of a state-of-the-art Olympic Complex laid in Trishal, Mymensingh. On Sunday, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Chief of Army Staff and President of the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA), inaugurated the project.

The complex will be built on 173.2 acres, 86 kilometres from Dhaka and 26 kilometres from Mymensingh city, with an additional nine acres purchased by the army to improve access.

Project Director Colonel Md Kutubuddin Khan presented the master plan, which includes three indoor stadiums, football, hockey, tennis, athletics, residential areas, a media center, parking, and shooting facilities. The complex will accommodate 33 sports disciplines. Cricket, golf, and rowing are initially excluded, though the BOA president expressed interest in adding cricket, which may lead to adjustments in the plan.

Construction will be supervised by the Army’s 24th Brigade, with local firm Vitti collaborating with the American company DLA, known for building major international stadiums. Vitti’s founder, Iqbal Habib, explained, “We lack experience in indoor stadiums, so foreign consultants were engaged.”

While the foundation has been laid, full-scale construction awaits funding. General Waker-Uz-Zaman said, “Everything is ready; the only barrier is finance. Support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Gulf countries, and the International Olympic Committee will help us complete the complex.”

The Ministry’s Secretary, Mahbub Ul Alam, assured legal and administrative support, while BOA Vice-President Abdul Hai Sarker confirmed financial backing from banks.

Iqbal Habib estimated that the first phase, including one indoor stadium and land development, will cost around Tk2,000 crore and take 2–2.5 years to complete. Completing the full master plan could require Tk34,000–38,000 crore and five–six years if fully prioritised by the government.

Although built on army land, the BOA will manage the complex. International and national tournaments will be hosted, with the army using it for training during other times. A memorandum of understanding between the army and BOA will be signed soon.