Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that today’s children and adolescents are the future of the country, and they will lead Bangladesh in the right direction and build the nation in the days ahead. He stressed that education alone is not enough; alongside their studies, children must also engage in sports, cultural activities and the arts.

He made the remarks while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the second season of ‘Notun Kuri Sports 2026-27’ as the chief guest at Khulna District Stadium on Thursday afternoon, November 5.

The Prime Minister said the government would create the necessary environment to ensure that students could regularly participate in sports and cultural activities alongside their studies.

Referring to the registration of more than 1.6 million children and adolescents for the second edition of Notun Kuri Sports, Tarique Rahman said such a large turnout demonstrated that young people could showcase their abilities if given the opportunity.

The Prime Minister arrived at Khulna District Stadium at 3:45pm. He formally inaugurated the second season by releasing balloons and pigeons. At the same time, he launched the competition online in 503 upazilas across the country. Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque and National Parliament Whip and Khulna-3 MP Rakibul Islam Bakul were present.

At the inaugural ceremony, the Prime Minister enjoyed performances by students of the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP), as well as performances by Chinese students.

Upon entering the stadium, he approached the galleries where students and athletes were seated. Thousands of children and adolescents greeted him with cheers, applause and waves. The Prime Minister responded by waving back, creating a festive atmosphere throughout the stadium.

After the inauguration, he planted a tree sapling on the premises of Khulna District Stadium.

The Prime Minister later visited Khulna Circuit House ground, where he walked around the field, exchanged greetings and shook hands with people gathered around it. He left Khulna for Dhaka by helicopter at 5:22pm.

A total of 1,623,218 participants from across the country have registered online for this season of Notun Kuri Sports. Volleyball and table tennis have been added to the previous eight events, bringing the total to 10 sporting disciplines. Children aged 10 to 14 will have the opportunity to compete in these events.

The competition is being held under the theme, ‘Make Sports a Profession, Give Families Confidence’. The first season was inaugurated in Sylhet on May 2.