TDS Desk:

Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman expressed his vision for a healthy nation, mentioning that a strong and healthy population would be immensely beneficial to the country. He also spoke about the importance of spreading marathons across the country to foster a healthier and more robust society.

He made these remarks at the Dhaka International Marathon-2025 on Saturday.

He said: “The international marathon will be held on January 31. Along with the international marathon, such marathons will be organized in big cities and district towns.”

The Dhaka International Marathon-2025 was inaugurated by the Principal Staff Officer of the Army Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hasan, in the early morning at Purbachal in the capital.

At that time, he said: “There are no cadets in the military academy now. We don’t get the same level of fitness as we used to. One of the reasons for this is that young people these days are not very aware of physical activity.”

He added: “There are no playgrounds like before and running has also decreased. There are also fewer opportunities for sports and games. For this reason, we have taken the initiative to connect the young generation through marathons.”

He said: “We had a beautiful marathon. There were over 10,000 local and foreign runners here. The aim here is not to win or lose. The aim was to physically include the country and the nation.”

He added: “We are overwhelmed by the response we received today (Saturday). Such marathons will be held in the future as well.”

The country’s largest marathon was organized with the participation of 10,000 runners from 10 countries in four categories. The event was named Dhaka International Marathon 2025.

At the end of the marathon, the army chief presented awards to 80 winners in four categories.

Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman handed over the prizes to the winners of the marathon at a naval base near 300 feet.

At the time, he said: “To build a healthy and strong nation, healthy events like marathons should be spread across the country.”

The next Dhaka International Marathon will be held on January 31, 2026.