Social Welfare Minister AZM Zahid Hossain said National University (NU) was working in line with the government’s expectations as it rolled out education, skills and extracurricular programmes under the “Learning with Happiness” initiative, a commitment included in the government’s election agenda. The programme has previously been identified as part of the BNP’s 2026 election manifesto.
He made the remarks on Saturday while inaugurating National University’s Rangpur divisional Inter-College Sports Competition 2026 at Dinajpur Government College. The event brought together 1,154 student-athletes from colleges across the division to compete in 72 events, including football, cricket, volleyball, kabaddi, swimming and athletics, National University said in a press release.
Of the competitors, 754 are male and 400 female. All had secured first place and gold medals in district-level contests before qualifying for the divisional round.
The competition, organised by the university’s Office of Physical Education and Culture as part of its “Learning with Happiness” programme, was formally opened with the hoisting of the national and university flags and the release of balloons.
Hossain said the government’s election manifesto included the programme and that National University was playing a leading role in implementing it nationwide.
He also said the university administration was working to carry out government priorities aimed at making education more closely connected with everyday life.
The government’s 2026 education agenda includes “Learning with Happiness”, alongside technical and vocational education, third-language instruction, sports, culture and technology-enabled learning.
Hossain called for education to move beyond conventional teaching and place greater emphasis on practical and skills-based learning to prepare younger people for future challenges.
He praised National University initiatives aimed at involving students in sport, technology, language education and employment-oriented training alongside conventional academic study.
Educational institutions should be campuses for developing people rather than centres of partisan activity, he said.
He also called for an environment in which young people could take up sport as a profession and said education should be delivered in an enjoyable setting.
Hossain said students and young people needed proper institutional guidance and training to benefit from freelancing and modern technologies.
National University’s nationwide network of affiliated colleges could be used to deliver skills and training quickly to large numbers of students, he said, adding that the current administration was advancing such work effectively.
Hossain currently serves as social welfare minister, a position confirmed by government and state-run sources.
National University Vice-Chancellor ASM Amanullah, who chaired the programme, said universities needed to focus on students’ physical and mental wellbeing alongside higher education.
The university’s official website identifies Amanullah as its vice-chancellor.
Amanullah said students should grow into healthy, confident and responsible individuals and argued that Bangladesh would not achieve its desired progress if the education system remained confined to conventional approaches.
He said curricula needed to become more dynamic to reflect changes in the global economy and labour market.
National University has begun updating its courses and curricula, with reform work already under way, he said.
A revised information and communications technology syllabus would be published online within a week, while the university was also introducing professional and skills-based courses in response to the needs of students and the government.
Amanullah also announced plans to establish a National University regional campus in Dinajpur.
Expanding university activities at regional level would make education and skills-development opportunities more accessible to students, he said.
Students taking part in the divisional competition had earned their places through district-level performances, Amanullah said, adding that successful competitors would advance to the national stage.
He expressed hope that athletes capable of competing at national level would eventually emerge from colleges affiliated with National University.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque said the government had undertaken broad measures to develop the sports sector based on research and long-term planning rather than temporary interventions.
Aminul, a former Bangladesh national football captain, was appointed state minister for youth and sports in February 2026.
He said a sports allowance had been introduced to retain talented athletes and that the first round of “Notun Kuri Sports” had been completed.
The government also planned to establish a “Sports Village” in every district and build stadiums at upazila level, he said.
Previous government statements have outlined initiatives to expand sports infrastructure and establish sport as a profession.
Aminul said two training sessions had been completed over the seven months since he assumed responsibility, aimed at improving skills among young men and women.
Participants were earning foreign currency through freelancing after three months of training, he said, adding that such programmes would continue until employment opportunities were secured.
He also called for an end to politics driven by vengeance and said all sections of society should work together to build a new Bangladesh.
Sport had an essential role in developing young people physically and mentally, Aminul said.
He described National University as the country’s largest educational family and said the goal should be to take its young people beyond classrooms and onto sports fields so they were better prepared to confront future challenges.
The government would continue providing full support for National University’s nationwide cultural and sporting competitions, he added.
The competition is scheduled to end with final events on 6 October. Gold-medal winners at the divisional stage will qualify for the national-level final competition.
The inauguration drew student-athletes, teachers and sports enthusiasts to the Dinajpur Government College ground.
Mohammad Shafiul Karim, director of National University’s Office of Physical Education and Culture, conducted the programme, while Dinajpur Government College Principal Md Lutfor Rahman delivered the welcome address.
Dinajpur Sadar lawmaker Syed Jahangir Alam, National University acting College Inspector Nazim Uddin Ahmed, Internal Audit Office Director Md Jasim Uddin, acting Human Resource Development and Integrity Office Director Muhammad Kamal Hasan, Deputy Commissioner Md Rafiqul Islam, District Council Administrator and Dinajpur district BNP President Mofazzal Hossain Dulal, Superintendent of Police Md Zedan Al Musa and Vice-Principal Md Kamrul Hasan were also present.
