Tk1,244 crore seed fund allocated for sports federations

Bangladesh’s government has introduced a historic Tk1,244 crore institutional seed fund aimed at making sports federations financially self-reliant. Under the new directive, each federation must organise at least four domestic tournaments and participate in three international competitions every year.

State Minister for Youth and Sports and National Sports Council (NSC) Chairman Aminul Haque announced the initiatives during a meeting with senior officials of 14 newly appointed federations at the NSC conference room on Sunday.

Approved by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the seed fund will distribute 75% of annual profits to federations to cover operational costs and support athletes, particularly in sports such as football, hockey, archery and shooting. The remaining 25% will be reinvested to ensure long-term financial sustainability.

Haque also reaffirmed the government’s zero-tolerance stance against corruption, saying alleged irregularities over the past 17 years are being investigated. He stressed that the law applies equally to everyone and warned that those found guilty would face both legal action and administrative penalties.

The minister also called for stronger safety measures for female athletes, praising the Bangladesh Women’s Sports Association and shooter Sharmin Akhter Ratna. He directed sports authorities to improve security at sports complexes and instructed ad-hoc officials to remain committed until District Sports Association elections are completed.

Representatives from 14 federations attended Sunday’s meeting, while discussions with officials from the remaining 13 ad-hoc federations are scheduled for Monday.