Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed the authorities to establish playgrounds in every union across the country to ensure a healthy, safe and sports-friendly environment for children, adolescents and young people. He has also instructed that at least 1,000 playgrounds be established nationwide within the next two months.

The directives were issued at a meeting on establishing union-level playgrounds and expanding sports activities, held at the Cabinet Division of the Secretariat on Thursday (October 8).

At the meeting, the Prime Minister directed the Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations to ensure at least one playground for every two to three wards. As part of the initiative, discussions were held on making 40 playgrounds in Dhaka North City Corporation and 90 in Dhaka South City Corporation suitable for sports and launching regular sporting activities there by December.

The meeting was informed that an initiative has been undertaken to establish playgrounds in all 4,599 unions across the country in phases. So far, 403 parcels of khas land have been identified in 27 districts for the development of playgrounds. Each playground is planned to have an area of between three and eight bighas.

A decision has also been taken to appoint one sports officer in each upazila to ensure proper maintenance of the playgrounds and organize regular sports activities.

In addition, a plan has been taken to involve around 1.4 million adolescents in 10 sporting events at the union level, including football, cricket, volleyball and badminton. The Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the sports programme simultaneously in all 503 upazilas from Khulna on November 5.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque, Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam, and Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr Mahadi Amin were present at the meeting.