The government of Bangladesh will honor 129 national athletes on March 30 as part of a new initiative to provide sports allowances and recognition under a structured salary system. The awards will be presented by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, according to State Minister for Youth and Sports Md. Aminul Haque at a press conference organized by the National Sports Council on March 28. The program is being implemented under the slogan “If sports become a profession, families will gain confidence.”

The initiative marks the first step in fulfilling the government’s election pledge to develop sports nationwide. While 129 athletes have been selected for the initial phase, the ministry plans to include 500 national athletes under the salary structure starting April 1. The selected athletes represent a wide range of disciplines, including archery, futsal, boxing, swimming, weightlifting, athletics, and more. Performance evaluations will occur every four months, and underperforming athletes may be removed from the list.

The state minister also announced plans to appoint sports officers in every upazila to promote grassroots sports and to launch the “New Buds Sports” program for children aged 12 to 14 by the end of April.