Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has emphasized that investment in children’s education and health is the most important investment in nation-building.
In a message marking the opening of the Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament (Boys and Girls) 2026, the Prime Minister described the tournament as an important initiative for the overall development of students.
He said sports, culture and creative activities are essential alongside academic education to build a confident, skilled and humane generation.
The Prime Minister noted that the government is working to modernize the education sector in line with its “Sobar Agey Bangladesh” election manifesto.
As part of the initiative, efforts are underway to integrate sports such as football, cricket, chess, karate and swimming into the curriculum from Grade Four to higher secondary level.
According to the Prime Minister, students will participate in sports through practical classes and assessments, helping reduce social problems such as drug addiction and excessive mobile phone use.
He said the government believes that greater participation in sports will contribute to the physical and mental development of children while encouraging discipline, teamwork and healthy lifestyles.
Tarique Rahman also highlighted the scale of the Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament, saying all 65,569 government primary schools across the country have been brought under the programme.
More than 9.9 million students are participating in the tournament, while a total of 123,974 matches have already been organized nationwide.
He described the event as one of the largest football tournaments in the world.
The Prime Minister wished the tournament every success and expressed hope that many participants would emerge as future sporting talents capable of representing Bangladesh on the international stage.
