Bangladesh’s sports leadership turned its gaze toward the crumbling heart of the nation’s football scene on Monday. Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque inspected Dhaka National Stadium and immediately floated a radical idea, scrap the roller skating complex and replace it with a full sports village.
The visit followed a ministry strategy meeting linked to the upcoming ‘Notun Kuri Sports Programme’. Officials from across the country gathered earlier in the day, but the real story unfolded once the minister stepped inside the national stadium.
What he saw did not impress him. The ground still carries the reputation as Bangladesh football’s historic cradle. The surroundings, however, now struggle to resemble a professional sporting venue.
Rows of shops, cluttered walkways and fading infrastructure choke the stadium’s outer ring. Administrators complained about the situation for years, and the minister’s inspection confirmed those concerns.
He made his position clear. Aminul Haque admitted the environment around the stadium had simply collapsed. He said, “The environment at Dhaka Stadium no longer exists in the way it should.” The line carried more frustration than diplomacy.
Then he promised action. The minister signalled a strict review of all commercial allocations around the venue. He said officials would examine whether shop owners actually follow the rules attached to their leases once Eid passes.
He explained the approach bluntly. Aminul Haque said the authorities would check “whether the shops allocated here operate according to our policies.” That statement hinted at a possible clean-up operation around the stadium perimeter.
The sharper controversy arrived when he turned his attention to the roller skating complex. The venue occupies valuable real estate inside the stadium compound, yet the minister questioned its relevance. He argued the sport attracts only a limited community while occupying space that could serve broader athletic development.
His criticism left little room for ambiguity. Aminul Haque said roller skating currently lacks “the proper environment or opportunities to perform in Bangladesh.” He also suggested earlier administrations forced the project into existence without long-term planning.
That assessment opened the door to a new proposal. The ministry now considers replacing the complex with an indoor sports village or a modern gymnasium facility. Officials believe such infrastructure could support multiple sports instead of one niche discipline.
The inspection also exposed another forgotten facility. The stadium swimming pool now sits almost idle. Swimmers rarely train there because the structure lacks proper cover and modern facilities.
The minister wants that problem fixed quickly. He ordered the National Sports Council to prepare a redevelopment plan, including the possibility of installing a roof structure above the pool.
He explained the objective simply. Aminul Haque said, “Swimming does not really happen there now, and we want to restore that environment.” The comment underlined the broader message of the visit.
