An atmosphere of festivity and enthusiasm has gripped Khulna ahead of the November 5 visit of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Breaking away from the traditional practice of decorating the city with arches, banners and festoons, BNP leaders and activists are working day and night to present a clean, beautiful and environment-friendly city to welcome their leader.
The city and district units of the BNP, along with its affiliated and associate organisations, have made extensive preparations to make the Prime Minister's visit a memorable occasion. Meetings and exchanges of views are being held regularly to coordinate the programmes.
According to party sources, the Khulna city and district BNP units have jointly planned what they describe as the largest-ever reception in the city's history.
Thousands of party leaders, activists and people from all walks of life are expected to line both sides of the road from Kudir Bottola in Rupsha, through Rupsha Bypass Road and Sher-e-Bangla Road, turning at Power House intersection and continuing up to Khulna District Stadium.
They will stand in orderly rows along the route to welcome the Prime Minister in a disciplined and dignified manner. Flower showers and greetings are expected to mark his arrival.
BNP National Executive Committee Student Affairs Secretary and Chief Whip of Parliament Rakibul Islam Bakul, MP, said the second edition of 'Notun Kuri Sports' would begin in Khulna on November 5 to nurture children's hidden talents and develop skilled athletes at the grassroots level.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would inaugurate the competition as the chief guest, he said at an exchange-of-views meeting at a city hotel on Sunday night.
Bakul said the government was committed to making sports an important instrument for building a strong nation rather than treating it merely as a form of entertainment.
Considering that many of the country's athletes come from middle- and lower-middle-income families, he said various initiatives had been undertaken to improve their performance while ensuring financial and social security for their families.
The competition will be inaugurated simultaneously in 503 upazilas across the country, with the central inauguration scheduled to take place at Khulna District Stadium, according to information shared at the meeting.
Khulna City BNP General Secretary and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Director Shafiqul Alam Tuhin said the gathering of people and the floral greetings along the entire route from Kudir Bottola to the district stadium would remain a memorable chapter in the city's history.
He said precautionary measures had been taken to maintain discipline and ensure smooth movement during the visit.
Around 16.3 lakh young people have already registered for the second edition, compared with 168,000 participants in the inaugural edition.
Teams have been formed in 4,599 unions, bringing approximately 14 lakh athletes into the large-scale sporting and cultural initiative.
