Year
2026
Reform Domain
Manifesto Watch
Education
Sub Domain
Education and Human Resource Development
Source of Reform Proposals
Election Manifesto of Bangladesh Nationalist Party - BNP
Reform Proposed
Reform Initiated
Legal and Policy Framework
Operationalisation
Action Implementation
Stage of Implementation
Reform Proposed
Last Update: 10-Sep-26
This pledge was included in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s election manifesto for Bangladesh’s 13th national election. The manifesto states that "a key future goal will be to gradually identify students with hidden talents (e.g., Quran recitation, cultural activities, mathematics, English, sports) and open up pathways for their development.”
Reform Initiated
Last Update: 10-Sep-26
On 20 February 2026, the Ministry of Education reportedly unveiled a 12-point reform agenda to be implemented in three phases. As part of the reforms, it was mentioned that, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP), a structured school sports training system would be introduced, including weekly sports periods, talent identification programmes, and school championships or leagues at the upazila and district levels.
Building on this initiative, on 16 March 2026, the State Minister for Youth and Sports stated that ‘Notun Kuri Sports’ programme will be launched, which aims to identify and support talented athletes from the grassroots level.
Building on this initiative, on 16 March 2026, the State Minister for Youth and Sports stated that ‘Notun Kuri Sports’ programme will be launched, which aims to identify and support talented athletes from the grassroots level.
Legal and Policy Framework
Last Update: 10-Sep-26
On 21 April 2026, the Directorate of Sports published the “Notun Kuri Sports Programme Guidelines 2026”, offering a detailed framework for promoting sports activities in educational institutions and developing sporting talent among students aged 12-14 years.
The guidelines cover eight disciplines: football, cricket, kabaddi, athletics, badminton, chess, swimming, and martial arts. The guidelines also outline participant eligibility criteria, including age requirements, registration procedures, documentation, attestation, disciplinary measures, penalties for false information, event-specific rules, and awards. The guidelines also outline a structured competition pathway, beginning with union and city corporation ward-level teams and progressing through upazila, district, regional, and national stages. In addition, it also specifies the formation of implementation committees at the national, district, upazila, and city education-thana levels, providing an institutional mechanism for programme delivery. On 20 July 2026, DSHE instructed all secondary educational institutions to support Notun Kuri Sports 2026–27.
The guidelines cover eight disciplines: football, cricket, kabaddi, athletics, badminton, chess, swimming, and martial arts. The guidelines also outline participant eligibility criteria, including age requirements, registration procedures, documentation, attestation, disciplinary measures, penalties for false information, event-specific rules, and awards. The guidelines also outline a structured competition pathway, beginning with union and city corporation ward-level teams and progressing through upazila, district, regional, and national stages. In addition, it also specifies the formation of implementation committees at the national, district, upazila, and city education-thana levels, providing an institutional mechanism for programme delivery. On 20 July 2026, DSHE instructed all secondary educational institutions to support Notun Kuri Sports 2026–27.
Operationalisation
Last Update: 10-Sep-26
On 2 May 2026, the government formally launched Notun Kuri Sports 2026 as a nationwide sports talent-hunt programme, with the Directorate of Sports under the Ministry of Youth and Sports serving as the implementing agency. By 27 July 2026, the first edition of Notun Kuri Sports 2025–26 had completed its upazila, district, regional and national stages. Reportedly, more than one lakh children and adolescents had taken part in the programme.
A separate Notun Kuri National Hifzul Quran and Seerat Competition 2026 was also organised by the Islamic Foundation. On 15 June 2026, the Islamic Foundation issued an official memorandum setting out arrangements for the national-level competition scheduled for 26 June at its Agargaon headquarters. The memorandum also stated that the names of national winners would be published after judging, while the award ceremony would be scheduled later following the Prime Minister’s consent.
Registration for the new season of Notun Kuri Sports 2026–27 began on 1 July 2026 and was scheduled to continue until 31 August, with upazila-level competitions planned from September. The new edition will cover 10 sports events, including two new events, volleyball and tennis, compared with eight in the first edition. In parallel, the new sports subject and textbooks are planned for introduction from the 2027 academic year.
A separate Notun Kuri National Hifzul Quran and Seerat Competition 2026 was also organised by the Islamic Foundation. On 15 June 2026, the Islamic Foundation issued an official memorandum setting out arrangements for the national-level competition scheduled for 26 June at its Agargaon headquarters. The memorandum also stated that the names of national winners would be published after judging, while the award ceremony would be scheduled later following the Prime Minister’s consent.
Registration for the new season of Notun Kuri Sports 2026–27 began on 1 July 2026 and was scheduled to continue until 31 August, with upazila-level competitions planned from September. The new edition will cover 10 sports events, including two new events, volleyball and tennis, compared with eight in the first edition. In parallel, the new sports subject and textbooks are planned for introduction from the 2027 academic year.
Observation
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The pledge has made visible progress, particularly through the implementation of Notun Kuri Sports and the national Hifzul Quran and Seerat competition. Curriculum-related measures are also moving forward, with Sports and Culture planned for Grade 4 and Learning with Happiness for Grade 6 from the 2027 academic year, while broader curriculum revisions are expected in 2028. The government has also taken additional steps in mathematics and other talent-development areas.
Resources