Bangladesh celebrates Olympic Day with colourful rally

Bangladesh on Saturday celebrated Olympic Day 2026 with a colourful rally in the capital, marking the founding anniversary of the International Olympic Committee.

Organised by the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) in partnership with the Bangladesh Army, the central event brought together more than 1,500 people, including national athletes, coaches, sports organisers, Olympians, and government officials.

The rally, held under the global campaign theme "You Can Do This, Let’s Move" commenced at 7am from the Bangladesh Army Stadium, looping through Airport Road and the Staff Road level crossing before returning to the stadium.

Parallel rallies and celebratory programmes were also held across the country's seven other divisional cities to mark the occasion.

General Waker-uz-Zaman, President of the BOA and Chief of Army Staff, inaugurated the central event as the chief guest and presented certificates of honour to the country's proud Olympians.

In his address, General Waker-uz-Zaman emphasised the core Olympic values of excellence, friendship, and respect, urging their integration into all levels of society.

He underscored the vital role of regular physical activity and sports in fostering a healthy, active lifestyle, stressing that there is no alternative to sports in building a disciplined and drug-free society.

He highlighted the crucial impact of sports in steering the youth away from drug abuse and social degradation, while instilling patriotism and moral values.

The Army Chief praised the current government's groundbreaking initiatives for sports development and sought its full cooperation in constructing the proposed Bangladesh Olympic Complex at Trishal in Mymensingh to build international-standard infrastructure.

Following a series of captivating sports exhibitions, the BOA President highly lauded the performances of athletes from the karate, taekwondo, and wushu federations.

To encourage them further, he announced personal sponsorship for a day-long trip and river cruise at the Padma AWT Resort for the performing athletes.