Sports Advisor reassures progress on BFF’s FIFA-funded project

Bangla Press Desk:  The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has received an allocation of approximately BDT 30 crore (around USD 2.5 million) under FIFA’s Development (Forward) Project to build a long-awaited Technical Center. However, there’s a key condition — if construction does not begin by December 2025, the grant will have to be returned.

To ease growing concerns over the deadline, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, Advisor to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, offered reassurance on Monday during the inauguration ceremony of the newly renovated kamalapur bir shrestha shaheed shipahi mostafa kamal stadium and the artificial turf adjacent to the BFF House, both built under the FIFA Forward initiative.

“The matter is now under process with the Land Ministry,” said Bhuiyan. “We’re confident the fund won’t have to be returned. We’re working closely with BFF and the ministry to finalize everything soon.”

The BFF first initiated plans for a ‘Center of Excellence’ nearly three years ago. Initially, land was selected in Khuniapalong, Ramu upazila, Cox’s Bazar, but it was later shifted to Rashidnagar in the same district. The project currently awaits final approval from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, after which construction is expected to begin immediately.

Sports Advisor also emphasized the need for a long-term vision in national sports development, criticizing the lack of strategic planning,
“We don’t really have a clear vision for our sports. We just move forward blindly. It’s time to set a concrete goal—what we want to achieve in the next ten years.”

Despite being over five decades old, the BFF still lacks a dedicated training ground. The proposed FIFA-funded Technical Center aims to fill that void, featuring a natural grass field, artificial turf, gymnasium, swimming pool, and academic facilities for footballers—marking a major step toward modern football infrastructure in Bangladesh.

BP/SP