Dhaka: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today called on athletes not to be affiliated with any political party or group during professional sports tenure, saying rather they should represent the country through sporting excellence. “In your (sports persons) professional sports career, you should not get involved with any political party or group, rather represent the country through your sporting excellence,” he said. The prime minister was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the sports card and allowance distribution programme at his office here this morning.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Tarique Rahman also urged the sports persons to lead Bangladesh to a higher position in the global sports arena by winning games at home and abroad. “I believe that if you have patriotism, a strong will, and team spirit, no one can stand in your way of successful progress,” he said. The premier emphasized that sports is now recognized as a profession worldwide, not just a hobby or entertainment.
“Bangladesh will also not lag behind. Before the 2026 national election, we pledged in our party manifesto that if the BNP gets the opportunity to run the state through people’s mandate, we would establish sports as a profession. The implementation phase of that promise formally began today,” he added. Noting that defeat does not mean losing, but is part of victory, Tarique Rahman quoted Albert Einstein as saying: “A person who has never been defeated has never done anything.”
He announced a structured salary framework for athletes based on a specific policy so they can pursue sports professionally without financial uncertainty for themselves and their families. “For the first time in the country’s history, athletes are being brought under a salary structure and provided with sports allowances,” the premier said.
Highlighting the government’s other initiatives to improve the living standards of the countrymen, he mentioned the introduction of Family Card, honorarium allowances for religious leaders, and a nationwide canal excavation programme. The prime minister also announced the forthcoming launch of the ‘Farmers Card’ programme on April 14 from Tangail district.
Tarique Rahman said physically challenged individuals who can contribute to sports will also receive sports cards. Under the theme “Sports for All,” the government has taken initiatives to ensure facilities for underprivileged groups and persons with special needs, aiming to include them in sports both at home and abroad.
The premier outlined extensive plans to establish sports as a profession, noting that while cricket and football are currently the most popular sports, other sports like archery, boxing, and swimming, among others, also have the potential to bring honor to the country. “If these sports are supported by the government and private sector, those also can bring honor to the country,” he said.
Tarique Rahman also highlighted Bangladesh’s recent success in the SAFF women’s futsal championship and stated that the government has begun implementing short, medium, and long-term plans to develop sports professionally. He added that sports will become compulsory from grade four in the education curriculum to ensure students interested in sports can engage alongside their studies.
Stating that ‘Notun Kuri Sports’, a talent hunt programme, will be launched nationwide, the prime minister said it aims to discover sports talent among children and adolescents. He mentioned that this initiative will be launched from Sylhet on April 30.
Earlier, the premier inaugurated the sports card and allowance programmes around 10:30am by transferring Taka 100,000 to each athlete’s accounts through an online system. He handed over sports cards to 129 athletes and honoured those who achieved success internationally.
The ceremony was attended by several ministers, state officials, and sports personalities, including LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and State Minister for Sports and Youth Md Aminul Haque. The event concluded with a photo session with athletes.