Dhaka: The one-month and 20-day-long ‘Youth Festival 2025’, aimed at harnessing the potential of Bangladesh’s youth for national development, concludes on Wednesday, as announced by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing. The festival, which began with a media launch and logo unveiling on December 1, 2024, officially kicked off on December 30 with the theme ‘Let’s change the country, let’s change the world.’
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain inaugurated the event. This marked the beginning of a nationwide countdown that culminated on December 29. The festival saw collaboration among 25 ministries and divisions, along with 23 offices and organizations, to ensure its successful execution. The celebrations extended beyond Bangladesh, reaching 80 Bangladeshi missions abroad, where expatriates actively participated.
The festival commenced with the 11th Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), which concluded on February 7. The press release highlighted the participation of at least 71,66,473 youths, comprising 27,42,171 women and 44,24,302 men, in a total of 13,711 events. Among these, 2,931 sports and cultural events were specifically organized for women. The festival fostered unity and cooperation among the youth, crucial for rebuilding the nation.
The event encouraged youth to pursue self-employment and entrepreneurship, transforming them into valuable national assets. Various activities were designed to uncover latent talents and potentials, inspiring the youth to excel. An under-17 football tournament supervised by the Directorate of Sports engaged 25,600 girls in 855 matches. During the BPL, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) promoted a zero-waste campaign to raise environmental awareness among the youth.
As part of the festival, the Bangladesh Football Federation organized diverse football events, including competitions for tea workers and Khasia communities in Sylhet and beach football in Cox’s Bazar. The Bangladesh Cricket Board hosted the BPL Music Fest, National School Cricket Tournament, and Inter-University Cricket Tournament. The Bangladesh Archery Federation held competitions in six districts, while the Bangladesh Taekwondo Federation organized events in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar. The Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation conducted a youth kabaddi competition nationwide.
The festival featured various traditional sports and cultural activities, from kite flying and mini marathons to folk cultural programs and pitha festivals. It also included educational and health initiatives like programming competitions, digital literacy campaigns, and free primary healthcare camps. The involvement of university students enlivened the festival, with events like youth entrepreneur fairs and cultural evenings held at Dhaka University and other public universities.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs undertook initiatives to promote environmental awareness throughout the festival. Under the supervision of the Office of the Chief Adviser and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the festival successfully conveyed the message of a new Bangladesh, engaging all societal stakeholders.