BFF takes over management of Kamalapur and Sylhet stadiums

The National Sports Council (NSC) has handed over the management, maintenance and security responsibilities of the Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur and the Sylhet District Stadium to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the two organisations.

The stadiums, however, will not be reserved exclusively for football events. Other sports federations will be able to use these venues with the NSC's approval. BFF President Tabith Awal said the BFF would provide necessary support to other federations if they receive permission to use the stadiums.

Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Tabith Awal said there are plans to develop the stadiums with funding from FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and various sponsors. However, these works will be carried out with the NSC's approval. He also commented that having clear responsibilities and scope of work would reduce the chances of misunderstandings in the future.

The BFF president emphasised keeping the stadiums open for all sports federations. He said the stadiums should be usable for all types of sports, not for any single federation. If the NSC allows another federation to use a venue, the BFF will provide cooperation in terms of security and management.

Tabith Awal expressed hope that if the BFF succeeds in managing the Kamalapur and Sylhet stadiums, the NSC might consider handing over other sports facilities in the country to the respective federations for management in the future.

State Minister for Youth and Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Council Aminul Haque said several decisions and initiatives have been taken for the development of the country's sports sector in the six months since he took over. Work is also underway to improve the stadium environment and create a more comfortable atmosphere for players and sports organisers.

He said the NSC has already adopted a design and action plan for improving the infrastructure and environment of various stadiums across the country. Implementing this plan to make sports facilities more sports-friendly in Kamalapur, Sylhet and across the country will take time. As part of this, hybrid grass will be installed at the Sylhet District Stadium, it was announced at the event.