5 member committee formed for protect female athletes

The government has taken special initiatives to eliminate discrimination against female athletes in the country's sports arena and establish their safety, empowerment and rights. For this purpose, a committee comprising five prominent women sports enthusiasts has been formed.

The formation of this committee was announced in a government order dated June 2. It was signed by Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Angyazai Marma.

National award-winning former national table tennis player Jobera Rahman Linu has been made the convener of the committee. The other four members of the committee are - Farida Yasmin, Member of Parliament for the reserved women's seat of the National Parliament, Sarwat Siraj (Shukla), President of the Bangladesh Women's Sports Association, Nasrin Sultana, Professor of the Institute of Health Economics, Dhaka University, and Umme Israt, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

According to the government order, a total of seven issues have been included in the committee's terms of reference. These are — formulating strategies for the protection, safety and development of female talent in sports, taking steps to establish women's participation and leadership, providing training and institutional-legal support to potential female athletes at the grassroots level, ensuring the health, nutrition and mental development of athletes, eliminating the investment deficit in women's sports and establishing equal financial benefits, establishing sports as one of the means for women's rights and empowerment, and taking effective steps to eliminate discrimination against women in sports and establish equality.

According to the decision, the committee will submit a written report on its activities and progress to the government every two months. If necessary, the opportunity has also been provided to co-opt an expert as a member of the committee on a specific issue.