Aminul wants district stadiums transformed into sporting hubs

Existing district stadiums will be upgraded into modern, multi-sport complexes instead of pouring money into giant new venues, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque has announced.

Speaking on Tuesday after opening a new cricket academy in Sreemangal, Moulvibazar, the minister outlined a game plan to get current sports facilities fully match-ready before looking to build new ones. "The government is working to build an integrated sports structure from the grassroots to the national level,"

Aminul said. He added that alongside the new Sreemangal Cricket Academy, immediate steps will be taken to improve local pitches, dressing rooms, and other key sports infrastructure.

The state minister detailed a nationwide project, currently in the planning stages, aimed at turning district stadiums into busy arenas for a variety of sports. These revamped venues will regularly host football, cricket, swimming, volleyball, table tennis, chess, archery, shooting, and hockey. "We plan to make these stadiums completely self-sufficient by ensuring necessary facilities like galleries, dressing rooms, and press boxes are up to standard," he noted.

To boost grassroots participation, Aminul revealed plans to set up playing fields at the rural union level across the country, alongside new futsal courts and small pitches in urban city wards.

Highlighting the social power of sport, he said these moves would play a crucial role in keeping the younger generation away from drugs and other harmful activities. In a major educational shift, he also confirmed that sports-related textbooks will be added to the national school curriculum from the fourth grade. Tackling local concerns over the illegally occupied Moulvibazar railway ground, Haque delivered a firm message.

He stated that district and sub-district administrations have been strictly ordered to evict squatters and return stolen playgrounds to the sporting community so they can be used properly. Looking at the elite level, the minister stressed a clear shift in ambition for the country's athletes on the global stage.

"To achieve good results internationally, the government does not want to limit itself just to participation; we want to fight for medals in promising sports," Aminul declared. He outlined a five-year roadmap featuring year-round training and talent development programmes, designed to build a highly competitive presence at major international events like the Olympics, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games.

The launch event in Sreemangal was attended by a host of local officials and sporting figures, including Additional District Magistrate Md Mamunur Rashid, Sreemangal Upazila executive officer Md Ziaur Rahman, Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Wahiduzzaman Raju, and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director Sarafraz Ahmed Sarfu, alongside sports organisers, political leaders, and media workers.

Following the briefing, the minister wrapped up his visit by inspecting the proposed site for a new mini-stadium in the Sreemangal area.