Govt changed, but partisan capture of institutions has not: Nahid

Opposition Chief Whip and National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam on Monday said the culture of politicising institutions had not ended with the change of government, alleging that BNP-linked people were now gaining influence in many places once controlled by Awami League loyalists.

Speaking at the launch of the National Sports Alliance at the Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh in Dhaka, Nahid said Bangladesh had failed to build effective institutional structures across sectors, including political bodies, sports organisations and the administration. This weakness, he pointed out, also affected how the state was run.

Urging reforms, he said political parties were entitled to their own ideologies, but anyone heading an institution must rise above party identity, as partisan interests could undermine institutional effectiveness.

"Partisanship has spread again across various sectors," he said, arguing that an independent alternative space was needed in sports as well as in politics.

Turning to the shortage of playing fields, Nahid said the importance of sport for children's physical and mental development had grown, yet many had no opportunity to play because of a lack of fields.

Land suitable for playgrounds exists in many areas, he said, but cannot be used because of encroachment and partisan influence.

Stressing sport's role in raising the country's international profile, he said Bangladesh's success in cricket was a major means of introducing the country to the world.

Sport, he said, was not just entertainment but part of the country's history, culture and social development. He called for efforts to improve performance in cricket and other international sports and revive traditional games that had faded away.

Asked whether the National Sports Alliance was affiliated with the NCP, Nahid said it had an ideological and policy connection with the party but was not an organisation under it. He added that there was a difference between an associate body and an affiliated wing of a political party, and that the alliance would operate independently under its own leadership and make its own decisions.