State Minister for Youth and Sports, Aminul Haque, has indicated that the existing ad hoc committees of various national sports bodies will remain in place until transparent elections are held.
He made the remarks during a media briefing on Monday following a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with officials from more than 50 national sports federations and associations.
“As you know, there has been considerable discussion and criticism over sports elections before the national parliamentary polls. Today, we decided to ensure a beautiful and transparent election process,” Aminul told reporters at the National Sports Council (NSC) conference room.
“We plan to begin at the grassroots level -- starting with upazila elections, followed by district and divisional levels, before concluding with federation elections.”
The former national football captain acknowledged that the process will take time. A formal directive will be issued to federations and stakeholders after consultations with the Youth and Sports Ministry and the NSC.
Following the July-August movement in 2024, the ministry and the NSC replaced more than 50 elected sports bodies with ad hoc committees at different times last year. In December, the NSC instructed the ad hoc committees to prepare for elections, but the circular was later withdrawn.
Currently, the ad hoc committees are operating at varying levels of activity. While some are limited to routine schedules, others function much like the previous elected bodies.
“We have more than 50 federations and associations,” Aminul said, adding that authorities are evaluating “which are functional, which are struggling, and what specific problems they face.” The aim, he noted, is to provide “maximum support” to help disciplines achieve better international results and encourage expansion “from school to grassroots level” where needed.
He has asked federations to submit a consolidated report within a week outlining their activities over the past year, obstacles to holding elections, relations with district sports associations, annual calendars, and lists of national players.
“I want a performance evaluation of Bangladeshi sports over the last year,” Aminul said, adding that discussions also covered financial sustainability through sponsorship, tax exemptions, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, and increased corporate contributions.
“Sport is a powerful medium to unite a nation. Our Honorable Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is committed to prioritising sports in Bangladesh’s future. We aim to complete most planning during Ramadan so we can implement it immediately after Eid,” he added, noting that the ‘Notunkuri Sports’ project may be launched after Eid.
Federation officials also raised concerns over office space, training facilities, funding shortages, dormitories, and the lack of qualified match officials and coaches.
Bangladesh Olympic Association vice-president Major (rtd) Imroz Ahmed said the BOA proposed several measures, including tax exemptions on sports gear and CSR funds, prioritising spending on sporting activities over infrastructure for the next year, and holding grassroots elections first after constitutional reforms before conducting national federation polls.
