Colourful procession in Khulna ahead of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit, heritage painted on city walls

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is coming to Khulna on Thursday (5 November). He will inaugurate the second edition of 'Notun Kuri Sports-2026' at Khulna District Stadium.

A colourful procession was held in Khulna city at 11am on Wednesday (4 November) to welcome him. Senior administration officials, top BNP leaders and students from various educational institutions took part in the procession.

Breaking with the practice of covering the city with arches, banners or placards, colourful paintings depicting history, heritage, natural beauty and tourism potential have been drawn on walls across the city this time.

The wall paintings depict the Sundarbans, the Royal Bengal Tiger, deer and Bagerhat's historic Shat Gombuj Mosque, along with other historic and natural landmarks of the south-western region.

Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Administrator Nazrul Islam Manju said efforts were under way to present Khulna as a more beautiful, clean and aesthetic city for the prime minister's arrival, with the wall paintings showcasing Khulna's history, heritage and natural beauty. He said the aim was for visiting guests to be impressed by the city's beauty and for Khulna residents to feel proud of their city.

To make the prime minister's visit memorable, the metropolitan and district BNP and its affiliated organisations have been holding repeated meetings and extended meetings every day, the report said.

BNP party sources said leaders, activists and ordinary people from the Khulna region would line both sides of the long road from Rupsa's Kudir Battala via the Rupsa bypass and Sher-e-Bangla Road, past Power House Mor, to the district stadium to welcome the prime minister.

Khulna Metropolitan BNP General Secretary and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Director Shafiqul Alam Tuhin said a shower of flowers and a wave of greetings would flow along the whole route from Kudir Battala via the Rupsa bypass to the district stadium. He said all precautionary steps had been taken to maintain discipline and keep travel smooth. He described the message of building a clean and environmentally friendly Khulna without covering the city in arches and banners as a new milestone in political culture.

BNP National Executive Committee Student Affairs Secretary and National Parliament Whip Rakibul Islam Bakul said the second edition of 'Notun Kuri Sports' was starting in Khulna on 5 November to develop the hidden talents of children and adolescents and to build skilled athletes from the grassroots, and that the prime minister would attend as chief guest and inaugurate it.

Bakul also said the current government was determined to establish sports not merely as entertainment but as a means of building a strong nation. Noting that most players in the country come from middle and lower-middle class families, he said various initiatives had been taken to improve players' skills alongside ensuring financial and social security for their families.

The district administration has prepared on vehicle requisition, rest arrangements, helipad readiness, ambulance and emergency medical services, uninterrupted power supply, generators, firefighting equipment and security for a smooth and successful visit, and the relevant government offices and agencies have been instructed to complete their preparations.

Khulna Deputy Commissioner Hure Jannat said all preparations to receive the prime minister had been completed, as part of which the colourful procession was held in the city at 11am on Wednesday.