Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu on Friday said that initiatives have been taken to establish sports and culture as respectable professions alongside other careers, with the government actively working toward that goal.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists after inaugurating a Baishakhi Mela at Shaheed Abul Kashem College ground in Borobari area of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila in the afternoon.
The minister said the government has launched a nationwide programme titled “Notun Kuri” to identify young sporting talents and provide them with training and development opportunities.
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He said there are plans to promote sports as a viable profession so that young people can pursue it as a means of livelihood in the future.
Dulu also said that rural sports and cultural traditions are gradually disappearing due to foreign cultural influence, adding that the Prime Minister has emphasised bringing sports back to the fields.
He said the government is implementing various initiatives from primary to university level to revive both sports and rural cultural practices.
The minister added that such events play an important role in preserving disappearing traditions and cultural heritage.
The two-day Baishakhi festival features rural sports competitions, including traditional games, horse racing, and cultural programmes on the opening day.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rashedul Haque Prodhan, Superintendent of Police Asaduzzaman, and District Council Administrator AKM Mominul Haque, among others, were present at the event.