Tourists, youths to drive adventurous events

A motorcar racing event will be held Saturday in the city to promote motorsport and automobile culture in Bangladesh, organisers said Sunday.
The second edition of Nitol-Tata Rallycross Championship-2015 will be organised by Bangladesh Motorsports, a subsidiary of event management firm CEMS Bangladesh.
The company has been hosting all kinds of motor vehicle-related sporting event here since 2006.
The daylong racing competition will be held at International Convention City of Bashundhara on the sidelines of the 10th Nitol-Niloy Motor Show-2015 and Dhaka Motor Show-2015.
"People of every age can take part in such an interesting racing event to get a taste of adventurous motorsport right here in Bangladesh," Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bangladesh Motorsport S.S. Sarwar said.
The press conference was arranged at the National Press Club in the afternoon. Nitol-Niloy Group and Tata Motors Limited will sponsor the event while Bangladesh Tourism Board and Bashundhara Group will be co-sponsors.
Speaking at a press conference, the CEO said all kinds of safety measures like physicians and ambulance will be available from the racing track as they are paying 'serious' attention to the safety and security of racers.  
He said each driver or car will be given a maximum of three leaps or runs in a day at interval and best time of the three leaps in the 1.0 kilometre-long track, which is located on northern part of Purbachal Expressway, will be registered. Cars will contest in the racing on five categories depending on the cubic capacities.
The categories are: cars having 2000cc or above will be allowed in Class-A, followed by 1601cc to 1999cc in B, 1301cc-1600cc in C, 1000cc-1300cc in D and 600cc-999cc in E.
"Women participants will also be allowed in the competition for the first time alongside three groups - private or individual, corporate or commercial and sponsors," he said.
Director of Nitol-Niloy retired army official Muhammad Abdul Matin said the business conglomerate as part of its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) always feels proud to sponsor such sporting events, which have huge public interest.
Hailing the move, CEO of the state-owned Bangladesh Tourism Board Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Kabir said motor racing is a passion for male and youths, in particular, and the organisers have put in place safety, medicare and fire-fighting measures.
"We've partnered with event to facilitate it as tourists have huge attraction for sporting events like racing and golf," he said, adding that Bangladesh has an advantage of demographic dividend as more than two-thirds of its population is youth, who are workable.
In future, he predicted that this group will drive the adventurous sporting events like motor race.
Organisers said the winners in each class of the motor racing competition will be awarded prizes and gifts from the sponsors and there will be no entry fee for the audience.
President and Managing Director of CEMS Bangladesh Meherun N. Islam and Deputy Director of Bashundhara Group Mustafizur Rahman were, among others, also spoke on the function.
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