Stadium to Be Built in Every Upazila Within Five Years, Sports State Minister Announces in Barishal

A stadium will be built in every upazila of the country within the next five years, Youth and Sports State Minister Md Aminul Haque has said. He announced the plan as a way to spread sport at the grassroots, produce new players and draw the young generation towards sport.

The state minister said that once the stadiums are built, sporting competitions at the local level will increase and the opportunity to produce skilled players for the national level will expand further.

He made the remarks on Tuesday (October 27) as chief guest at the closing ceremony of the 'BCC Administrator Cup Football Tournament 2026' at Kabi Jibanananda Das Stadium in Barishal.

The state minister said sport is not only a means of entertainment; it plays an important role in keeping the young generation healthy, disciplined and free of drugs.

He said the youth must be connected with sport to build a beautiful and prosperous Bangladesh. He also said opportunities must be created for young people's talent to develop through football and other sports.

To that end, the government is working on the development of sport, the construction of modern sports infrastructure and the production of talented players from the grassroots level, the state minister said.

Referring to the government's initiatives to establish sport as a profession, he said sports allowances and sports cards are being provided to encourage players.

He also said a plan has been adopted to find talented players scattered across the country and groom them into national-level players.

The ceremony, chaired by Barishal City Corporation administrator Advocate Bilkis Akter Jahan Shirin, was attended by Divisional Commissioner Khalil Ahmed, Police Commissioner Abu Raihan Muhammad Saleh, Deputy Commissioner Md Mamun Khandkar and Barishal metropolitan BNP convener Moniruzzaman Khan Faruk, along with other political leaders.

After the ceremony, the state minister inaugurated a biogas plant in the Harinafulia area of Ward 26 of Barishal City Corporation. He said the biogas plant initiative would play an important role in tackling the energy crisis and protecting the environment.

He also noted that, through training and easy-term loans from the Department of Youth Development, the programme will be spread to remote areas of the country as well.