Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain has called for a major shift in Bangladesh’s sporting mindset, saying the country’s sports sector is “moving like a donkey, wherever it sees, it walks,” urging all federations to work with a united and goal-oriented approach.
He made the remarks on Tuesday while inaugurating two new artificial turf football grounds built under FIFA’s Forward Project. The inauguration ceremonies took place at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Sipahi Mustafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur and at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) headquarters.
The new turfs, developed with funding from the world football governing body FIFA, were formally opened by BFF President and FIFA Committee Member for Football Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Tabith Awal. The inauguration event was attended by Youth and Sports Secretary Md Mahbub-ul-Alam, National Sports Council Executive Director Kazi Nazrul Islam, Local Government Division Secretary Md Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, and Bangladesh Nationalist Party Women’s Wing President Afroza Abbas.
Addressing the gathering, Asif Mahmud Sajib highlighted the importance of setting clear, measurable goals for all sports disciplines in Bangladesh. “Our sports have no defined direction,” he said. “We are moving without purpose. Football, cricket, athletics and in every sports, we must work with clear targets and timeframes. As a nation, we often set goals in other sectors, but not in sports. That must change.”
Reflecting on the progress at the Dhaka National Stadium, Asif noted that the renovation work had been moving slowly before his tenure. “When we took responsibility, we completed the work within six months,” he said. “If we maintain these new turf pitches properly, we can host major tournaments right here.”
He further emphasised the need for collaboration between federations and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. “There was a time when every federation worked separately,” he observed. “Now, they are working more closely with the ministry, and that cooperation is what will push Bangladeshi sports forward.”
Asif also discussed the ministry’s broader vision for developing sports science and athlete welfare across the country. He revealed that a new Bangladesh Sports Institute is being established in Ramu, aimed at bridging the gap in sports science education and injury rehabilitation. “With FIFA’s support, BFF is setting up a Centre of Excellence in Ramu, and we are also developing a similar centre for cricket in Purbachal,” he explained. “These facilities will allow our athletes to recover and train scientifically without needing to go abroad. The world has advanced by integrating biomechanics into sports, and we aim to keep pace.”
His message combined both celebration and challenge — acknowledging the infrastructural progress under FIFA’s support, while urging a deeper cultural change within the sports community. “We can build world-class facilities,” he concluded, “but without vision, purpose, and discipline, we will continue to move without direction.”
