Aminul Takes a Tough Stance to Restore Sports Environment
Mobile court to operate around National Stadium from Friday
State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque visits the Dhaka National Stadium Complex, on Thursday.
As soon as he entered the National Stadium, he walked straight onto the newly laid green grass. The SAFF Championship will be held on this ground in November.
New turf has been laid ahead of that. The green turf holds many memories from his playing days. With utmost care, Aminul Haque ran his hands over it and spent a moment reminiscing. After that, he left with his entourage to inspect various sports facilities located within the National Stadium complex. Having left his playing career behind, he is now in charge of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. He toured the very grounds that had given him stardom and let out a deep sigh.
Aminul Haque grows furious at the sight of filth and the reign of illegal encroachers surrounding the hockey stadium.
In a disappointed tone, he said, "I am truly very disappointed. This historic Dhaka Stadium, our Hockey Stadium, and other sports infrastructures—we want to bring back a sporting environment to them. We have not been able to properly preserve the stadium precinct until now." Immediately after, he gave a promise to restore a sports-friendly environment at the National Stadium complex. Although many previous ministers and advisers have made similar promises, those were empty words. Whether Aminul can truly fulfill that promise remains to be seen.
After inspecting the National Stadium, he toured the outer premises of the adjacent Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium and found various irregularities. Indiscriminate parking is one of the biggest problems in the area. Additionally, piles of garbage, shopping malls encroaching on pavements, and the area turning into a haven for drug dealers and muggers after nightfall were already well-known to Aminul. He also called the owners and employees of various shopping malls and asked about the rent, but was surprised because none of them were willing to disclose the actual rent or the process by which they were renting spaces.
The smile from the start of the visit did not last.
Taking all these matters into consideration, Aminul said that in line with the directives of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus (interim government), the sports infrastructures would be given a sports-friendly makeover. He said, "We have our secretary, our police commissioner, and other officials with us. Our Inspector General of Prisons is also with us. Firstly, we will take measures to make the surroundings of these sports infrastructures sports-friendly."
He further said: "The Honourable Prime Minister has given directives to restore the (sports) environment here. In accordance with his directives, we have come here and have inspected the environment of each infrastructure and vicinities. The biggest problem here is that after nightfall, a reign of drugs and various misdeeds like mugging take place. Orders have been given to eradicate these. We will operate mobile courts here and deploy police forces so that no untoward incidents occur after evening."
Aminul warns shop owners; says legal action will be taken if equipment is kept on pedestrian walkways
Aminul Haque has issued a warning to shop owners. He said that if any equipment or goods are kept on pathways meant for people to walk, legal action will be taken. He stated, "Police and the National Sports Council (NSC) will jointly operate mobile courts here, and magistrates will be appointed, so that the stadium can be gradually transformed into a sports-friendly venue. Additionally, some infrastructure is in very dilapidated condition. The hockey stadium and various gates of the National Stadium are blocked with garbage, and the surrounding roads are also in poor condition. We will discuss with the city corporation and arrange for the removal of the waste."
This National Stadium complex is known as the country's largest electronics market. There are over a thousand shops within the stadiums, from which the National Sports Council has been deprived of crores of taka in revenue year after year. The Sports Council has leased out these shops at antiquated rates, and no government has taken the initiative to re-evaluate them.
The junior minister has instructed the Sports Council to prepare an updated list within a week. He has promised to take measures to re-evaluate the rent or lease of the shops as soon as possible.
He said, "I have already directed the Executive Director of the Sports Council to list, starting from tomorrow, the basis on which contracts have been made with the shops, who has been given leases and on what terms, and how much rent they are paying. The Sports Council is not receiving the revenue it should from this. The government and the people are being deprived. To ensure that revenue is collected properly, we will carry out a revaluation. I have also heard that rates are set at only 17 taka, 22 taka, or 20 taka per square foot. Even after asking the shopkeepers, I could not find out the correct rent. So we will quickly gather the information and sit down to reconsider everything."
The National Sports Council receives a significant amount of revenue annually from vehicular movement, parking, and gate leases within the stadium vicinity. But simply removing general vehicular traffic and parking would make the environment of this complex much more sports-friendly.
