Aminul cracks whip on Kamalapur stadium administration

 
A surprise inspection has once again thrown the spotlight on the sorry state of Dhaka's Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mustafa Kamal Stadium at Kamalapur, with the State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque ordering the temporary suspension of its administrator over alleged negligence.

Aminul visited the Kamalapur venue on Sunday while the Second Division Football League was in progress and found a number of shortcomings in maintenance, cleanliness and the overall playing environment. The stadium, one of the country's principal football venues, has previously drawn official concern over its security and upkeep. 

The State Minister subsequently directed the National Sports Council to take disciplinary action against administrator Shafi Kamal Swapnil, citing failure to carry out responsibilities assigned to him several months ago.

Those responsibilities included electrical works on the northern side of the stadium, waste removal and ensuring overall cleanliness. According to sources, despite sufficient time having elapsed, little meaningful progress was made.

Aminul also announced the immediate cancellation of allocations for all shops surrounding the stadium, making it clear that commercial revenue would take a back seat to sporting needs.
"I do not need income from shop rents here," the State Minister said.

The vacated spaces are expected eventually to be allocated as offices for first and second-division football clubs, a move aimed at giving clubs a more functional base for their day-to-day operations.
The latest intervention could mark a fresh push to get the stadium back on track and restore a proper footballing environment at a venue that has long been a familiar stage for the domestic game.