PM Hasina emphasizes importance of sports for national advancement

Staff Correspondent: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday reiterated the government’s commitment to creating facilities across various sectors to ensure the country’s comprehensive advancement in the future. “We want the country to progress in every stratum, including sports, in the coming days,” she said while giving away prizes to the winners of the Sheikh Hasina Interbank Football Tournament 2024 at the Bangladesh Army Stadium.

The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of sports in fostering a competitive spirit and self-improvement. Sports help to create an attitude of competition and induce the spirit to upgrade oneself, she said. “Through sports, education, and cultural activities, everyone will have the opportunity to flourish and showcase their creativity. This is why we prioritize sports,” she added. Sheikh Hasina also mentioned the government’s initiative to construct mini-stadiums in every upazila, named Sheikh Russel Mini Stadium, to ensure year-round competition at the upazila level. “We are trying to make people more attentive to various kinds of sports,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that all over Bangladesh, there are Bangmata Gold Cup football tournaments for girls and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib football tournaments for boys. “Good players are gradually emerging from there. They are not only in the country, but they are bringing recognition for Bangladesh at the international level. Presenting Bangladesh to the world through sports is what they are doing,” she said.
Stressing the need for training, she said that it is mostly needed. “That is why we are establishing one BKSP in each division,” she added.

The Prime Minister said that the government wanted the country to progress in all aspects of sports.
“Today we have done digital Bangladesh. We have improved our economy, we have cut down the poverty rate by more than half, now at 18.7 percent.” She also said that the rate of extreme poverty was above 25 percent, now it has come down to 5.6 percent. “Inshallah, no one will be extremely poor in Bangladesh. I am giving a house to everyone free of charge, giving textbooks, giving scholarships, and providing all kinds of support.”

She mentioned that as Bangladesh progresses at the international level as well, it will continue this trend.
“Bangladesh will advance in the world court at an unstoppable speed, as a developed-rich smart Bangladesh.” Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman and Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB) Chairman Nazrul Islam Mazumder also spoke at the event. In the final match, Islami Bank PLC defeated Standard Bank PLC with a score of 2-0. Earlier, the Prime Minister watched the second half of the final match and enjoyed a cultural programme.