Dhaka: The OBHIZATRIK Foundation, in collaboration with the FIFA Foundation, officially inaugurated the second year of the ‘Playing for Peace: FIFA Foundation Community Programme 2025-26’ at the Gulshan Youth Club, Football Turf. The launch event featured an inauguration ceremony and a friendly football match, with Assistant Private Secretary-2 (APS-2) to Prime Minister Abdur Rahman Sunny serving as the chief guest, while Ahmed Imtiaz Jami, President of the OBHIZATRIK Foundation, delivered the welcome speech.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the OBHIZATRIK Foundation is the first Bangladeshi organization to be selected as an official partner of the FIFA Foundation Community Programme. The initiative aims to leverage the power of football to foster youth development, social inclusion, leadership, and peacebuilding. Since its inception in Bangladesh in 2025, the programme has provided regular football training and holistic development opportunities to approximately 1,000 underprivileged children and adolescents from Mirpur, Dhaka, including 50 children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities.
The ‘Playing for Peace’ programme uses sport as a platform to build essential life skills such as confidence, teamwork, leadership, and empathy among children and young people. In its first year, the programme conducted various activities, including 48 football training sessions, 6 quarterly tournaments, specialized football sessions for children with intellectual disabilities, and numerous life skills and educational workshops.
Building on its first year’s success, the second year plans to expand its reach with 56 football training sessions, 4 quarterly tournaments, and additional specialized sessions for children with intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, it will offer 24 life skills sessions, 24 educational workshops, and 32 digital classroom sessions, alongside psychosocial counselling and community-based social and recreational activities.
The partnership between the FIFA Foundation and OBHIZATRIK Foundation underscores a shared commitment to fostering inclusive and peaceful communities through sport. By integrating football with education and life skills, the programme aims to promote social cohesion and empower every child to learn, grow, and belong.
During the launch, President Ahmed Imtiaz Jami emphasized the significance of the programme as a milestone for Bangladesh, highlighting OBHIZATRIK Foundation’s 16-year history of working in education, healthcare, livelihoods, and youth development across 32 districts. He also noted the organization’s collaboration with international bodies to promote sustainable development goals.
Abdur Rahman Sunny urged the public to invest in the future of underprivileged children, emphasizing that sponsorship and support could lead to a healthier and more educated generation. He highlighted the importance of sports in the physical and mental development of disadvantaged youth, aligning with the vision of a healthy and prosperous nation.
The event concluded with the champion team receiving the winners’ trophy and all participating players being awarded medals by OBHIZATRIK Foundation and the FIFA Foundation, acknowledging their dedication and participation. Notable attendees included Fahad Karim, Vice President of the Bangladesh Football Federation, and Dr. Wahiduzzaman (Tamal), President of Gulshan Youth Club Limited.