State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Zahid Ahsan Russell MP said the government has taken initiative to build international standard sports complex for the underprivileged and backward people of the society along with children with special needs. He was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural function of "Virtual Chess Competition 2021 for Persons with Disabilities" organized by Persons with Cerebral Palsy Foundation (PCPF) on Monday afternoon.
The state minister said a state-of-the-art sports complex for the specially abled would be set up at Savar at a cost of around Tk 450 crore, with 11-storey academic buildings including two basements, dormitories, residential buildings, gymnasiums, swimming pools, mosques, football fields, galleries and cricket grounds. The construction of this sports complex will create sports opportunities for people with all kinds of special needs. This will make it possible for them to create a healthy recreational path. Government is also constructing a spectacular sports complex for the specially abled in the open field next to the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Authorities have already finalized the design of the complex.
He further said that persons with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as a healthy and normal citizen of the society. With that opportunity, if the path of healthy and normal life can be created, it will be possible to include them in the mainstream of the society. For this, people with disabilities need special schools, technical services and rehabilitation system, as well as sports and cultural environment. Referring to the present government as specially abled friendly, the state minister said, "The Prime Minister is very sincere about the people with special needs. She always personally hands over prizes to the winners of the Special Olympic Games and she herself greets them at Ganobhaban.
Mentioning that the disabled people of Bangladesh are very talented, she said that Bangladesh has won 216 gold, 109 silver and 84 bronze medals in the last 25 years in the Special Olympics.
The event, organized on a virtual platform, was presided over by PCPF President Sheikh Enayet Karim. Managing Director of the Neuro Developmental Security Trust, Dr. Md. Anwar Ullah and Masudur Rahman Mallick, Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Chess Federation also attended the programme.