Sports State Minister Stands Beside Babupur Villagers Who Bought Their Own Field, Ministry to Buy 60 More Decimals

After the residents of Babupur village in Delduar upazila of Tangail bought land for a playground with their own subscriptions, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque has now stood beside them. He has decided that the Youth and Sports Ministry will buy another 60 decimals of land next to the field and gift it to the villagers.

Babupur, home to about three and a half thousand people and more than seven hundred families, had no permanent playground for its children and young people. They could play on empty fields for a short period after the paddy harvest, but that opportunity ended completely once the cultivation season began.

To end that crisis, a meeting was held under the leadership of local sports personality Khorshed Alam and entrepreneur S M Iqbal Mahmud. Wealthy and ordinary villagers alike contributed what they could — some gave 200 taka, some 500, some 1,000, and others 5,000 or 10,000 taka.

Landowner Iqbal Hossain Sujon donated one decimal of land to the initiative. The villagers paid 30 lakh 68 thousand taka for the remaining 59 decimals. On 29 October the land was formally handed over to the villagers and the new field was inaugurated with the hoisting of the national flag. In total, the villagers bought 60 decimals of land.

After media reports on the initiative, it came to the attention of State Minister Aminul Haque. He contacted the Tangail Deputy Commissioner (DC) and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), learned the details and praised the villagers' effort.

The state minister learned that another 60 decimals of land lie beside the field the villagers bought. He decided that the ministry would buy that entire plot and gift it to the people of Babupur, doubling the size of the village field.

Aminul Haque said such a spontaneous initiative by the people of Babupur for a playground has set a different example in the country's sports arena. He said the government and the ministry always want to encourage such positive, self-driven work.

He added that being able to stand beside the villagers to ensure a healthy sporting environment for children and teenagers would be something special.

To formally announce the initiative and honour those involved, the state minister has invited the DC, the UNO and representatives of the villagers to the National Sports Council tomorrow.