The one-month and 20-day-long Youth Festival, organized with an aim to build a new Bangladesh by bracing the power of youth in the country, is set to end on Wednesday (Feb 19), said a press release from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing. The theme of the ‘Youth Festival 2025’, which kicked off on Dec 30 last year, was ‘Let’s change the country, let’s change the world.’ The official launch of the Youth Festival was on Dec 1, 2024 with the media launch and logo unveiling.
Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, the convener of the National Committee for the Celebration of the Youth Festival, inaugurated the Youth Festival. Later, the countdown to the Youth Festival began simultaneously across the country, which ended at midnight on Dec 29.
Twenty-five ministries and divisions, 23 offices and organizations at different levels, worked together to successfully implement the Youth Festival. The youth festival was also widely celebrated in 80 Bangladeshi missions abroad with the participation of expatriate Bangladeshis.
The festival kicked off with the 11th Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), which came to an end on Feb 7.
According to the press release, at least 71,66,473 youths – 27,42,171 of them women and 44,24,302 men – have directly participated in the festivities. The release also stated that a total of 13,711 events took place as part of the festival, of which 2,931 were sports and cultural events for women.
The passion was palpable as the festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm and fanfare across the country.
Through the Youth Festival, the youth showed their unity and cooperation that was imperative to build the country from the scratch. Young people were motivated to be self-employed and made them as entrepreneurs so that they develop themselves as an asset of the country.
Various activities were taken to create awareness about the latent talents and unidentified potentials amongst the youth. These activities are working as a platform to inspire the youth.
Under-17 football tournaments across the country was held under the supervision of the Directorate of Sports.
A total of 855 matches for girls were held in which at least 25,600 girls participated. During the BPL, the BCB ran a zero waste campaign at various venues, which raised awareness among the youth on the issue.
As part of this festival, the Bangladesh Football Federation organized a day-long football competition in Sylhet with the participation of tea workers and Khasia communities, beach football in Cox's Bazar, U-15 football tournaments in 64 districts, amputee football festival, four-day training for underprivileged female footballers in three hill districts to create interest in football, football festival in the char areas of Sirajganj, friendly football matches with young diplomats from various embassies in Dhaka, etc.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) organized the Bangladesh Premier League, (BPL) Music Fest at three venues, National School Cricket Tournament with the participation of 350 schools, Inter-University Cricket Tournament with the participation of 56 universities.
The Bangladesh Archery Federation organized an open archery competition in six districts and at the national level at the Paltan Maidan in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Taekwondo Federation organized a taekwondo competition in Dhaka with the participation of 400 men and women, and taekwondo displays in Dhaka and Cox's Bazar, children's and teenagers' taekwondo competitions, and the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation organized a knockout-based youth Kabaddi (under-18 boys and girls) competition from the union level to the national level across the country. All 56 sports federations and associations organized various events around this festival across the country.
Activities such as Kabaddi, Dariabandha, Bauchi, Gollachut, Kite Flying Festival, Roller Skating, Cycling, Sixers Cricket Tournament, Mini Marathon, Sports Competition for Children with Special Needs, Organization of Folk Cultural Programs, Karupanya Mela and Pitha Festival, Nazrul Sangeet Sandhya, Graffiti and Painting Competition on July-36, Story Telling of Martyrs, Debate Competition, Essay Competition, Quiz Competition, Book Reading, Recitation, Spelling Competition, Presented Speech, Discussion Program, Science Quiz, Programming Competition, Publication of Wall Magazine, Digital Literacy Campaign, Distribution of Winter Clothes, Tree Planting, Cleanliness Campaign, Formation of Zero Waste Brigade, Awareness and Workshop on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer, Youth Entrepreneur Gathering, Free Primary Health Care Camp were organised as part of this festival.
To make the youth festival participatory and lively, young students of the universities are involved in this festival. This youth festival is celebrated in a very joyful atmosphere in various government and private universities including Dhaka University.
A youth entrepreneur fair, youth gathering, debate on entrepreneurship development, case competition, international nutrition Olympiad, discussion programme, pitha festival, cultural evening and youth concert are held at the Dhaka University playground. Other public universities also undertake similar programmes.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs takes various initiatives to increase environmental awareness at various venues during the festival.
The festival is celebrated with the participation of all stakeholders of the society. Under the direct supervision of the Office of the Chief Adviser, under the management of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, all the ministries, divisions, offices, organizations, sports organizations, ‘Tarunyar Utsab 2025’ plays a significant role in spreading the message of the new Bangladesh.
