Sports reform proposal asked to be submitted by April 20

The Youth and Sports Ministry on Thursday instructed the Search Committee to submit its reform proposal and finalise the formation of ad-hoc committees for various national sports federations by April 20 as the ministry has been facing difficulties in disbursing funds to federations due to the absence of full executive committees.

Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 last year, the interim government formed a five-member Search Committee on August 29. The committee was later revised on October 1 with the objective of reforming and depoliticising the country's sports sector. However, only 21 ad-hoc committees have been formed out of the 55 sports federations and associations over the past six months.

"Five months after the committee's revision on October 1, the formation of ad-hoc committees for various sports federations remains incomplete. As a result, the allocated budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year has yet to be disbursed due to the lack of ad-hoc or full committees," stated a circular from the Youth and Sports Ministry.

"This delay has hindered the federations' ability to conduct scheduled activities, negatively impacting the sports sector. Only three months left to the end of the current fiscal year, and if the federation can't spend its allotted allocation for the 2024-25 fiscal year, then it could hamper getting the desired allocation from the government for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year," the circular added, urging the Search Committee to expedite the formation of remaining ad-hoc committees and submit its reform proposal by April 20.

Search Committee convener Jobayedur Rahman Rana acknowledged the ministry's directive and said they would respond soon regarding their progress.

"We requested the ministry to arrange meetings with divisional sports associations long ago, but they have yet to respond. Without these meetings, finalising the reform proposal is challenging," Rana told The Daily Star.

Rana noted that while the committee has already met with officials and players from all 55 federations for two to four hours each, they have yet to meet with district organisers.

"We are making every effort to submit our recommendations and finalise the ad-hoc committees by the deadline, as 90 percent of the work has been completed," said Rana, adding that the Search Committee can only make recommendations for the ad-hoc committees, not announce it.