The instruments for free hand exercise rust under the open air on the Chittagong University campus while the central playground, inset, of the university has now turned into a grazing field. PHOTO: STAR

Chittagong University (CU) authorities could not start construction of the proposed sports complex even after 30 years of sanctioning budget for it.

The government approved a project worth Tk 1.25 crore to set up a sports complex in the university in 1976. Two other projects were also approved at the same time for Dhaka and Rajshahi universities that have been implemented long ago.

Rajshahi University set up a full-fledged stadium and Dhaka university sport complex along with a separate swimming pool with the money allocated for the projects while the CU authorities did nothing.

The fate of the money sanctioned for the sport complex project at CU could not be known.

It is learnt that the then vice-chancellor and the engineers of the university responsible for implementing the project were punished at a court marshal during the autocratic regime of General HM Ershad for corruption relating to the project.

Meanwhile, the University Grant Commission (UGC) in 1995 allocated Tk 4.98 crore to set up a full-fledged sports complex at the university. The authorities could not start the construction because the allocation was not sufficient to set up the sports complex, sources said.

Besides, the CU authorities did not make any allocation for the complex in its budgets until the 2005-2006 fiscal year.

The players of the university are to participate in events of indoor games in competitions or tournaments without proper practice.

As a result the university players are failing to win the events in indoor games for long.

There are some 800 students having knack for indoor and outdoor games like football, hockey, cricket, handball, volleyball, athletics, badminton and table tennis at the university.

The participants of the indoor and outdoor games now practise either at the CU central field or at the Physical Education Department room in a very congested situation, students and players said.

On the other hand, the Physical Education Department, the lone place for practice of indoor games, also doesn't have any building of its own to continue practice. The building of the department is actually meant to house only the printing press of the university.

The department is manned by nine teachers and 10 employees.

AMM Raquib Quoraishi, director of the department, said, "We have to borrow the sports instruments from outside as we can not procure them due to lack of budget."

The university authorities in its annual budget allocate Tk 6.5 lakh for a year when Tk 2.5 lakh is to spend only for holding the annual sports, he said.

It is impossible to arrange indoor games in rainy season due to lack of a gymnasium, he said.

The department sent a design for the proposed stadium and the sports complex, including gymnasium, to the university authorities to forward it to the ministry concerned for approval last year, he added. But, the fate of the design is still uncertain, he said.

Absence of sports complex and facilities discourages the sports-loving students in games. Besides, admission in players' quota remained stopped for the last two years.