Feature

Grand finale of a debating feast

Nazm-us-Saadat

The debating scene in our country is indeed something to look at with awe. The youth of the nation seem to be the key players in promoting the culture of using logic as a tool to solve all sorts of problems which, I'm afraid is yet to be embraced by the veteran politicians and corporate leaders of this country. When was the last time we saw the national parliament being properly utilized...I mean MPs coming, arguing (logically) to either pass a bill or to stop a bill from being passed? Little do these “Netas” and “Netris” know that the simple demonstration written above, if practiced by themselves and properly, would automatically ensure their accountability to the people and democracy would immediately start to operate on its own. However the youth did not wait for these “Battalion Gentlemen”, “Poets” and “Princes” to know their role and therefore found their own way of discussing the local and global problems--in the form of parliamentary debates. Last year debating in Bangladesh reached a higher altitude as big organizers like Bangladesh Debating Council, Bangladesh Debating Federation, Debate for Democracy, BTV, RTV-AIUB, DUDS, NDDC and IBA launched innumerable debating championships and all of them were a success story. But the greatest highlight came when debaters of the National School Team, selected by BDC, ranked Bangladesh 10th in the world ranking after participating in the 2006 World Schools Debating Championship Wales. As the month of December came and seeing the political unrest, we all thought debating was done for but Stamford University begged to differ and they entered the debating scene with a bang.

The Stamford Debating Forum (SDF) organized the “1st National Debate Championship 2006” at the Stamford University Shiddheshwari campus. The tournament took place from 21st to 26th of December 2006. Amin Mohammad Group was the co-sponsor and STV/US and Radio Today were the media and radio partners respectively. The tournament was divided into two sections: English and Bengali. However, both the sections followed the parliamentary debate format. A total of forty-eight teams participated in the championship. A public speaking competition was also arranged. Mastermind College and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) became champions in the English and Bengali sections respectively. In the process of becoming one of the two debut champions of the competition, Mastermind overcame debating powerhouses like North South University and Chittagong University; they also staged the biggest upset in the English debating circuit when they beat IBA in the quarterfinal while opposing the motion “This house believes that it is now impossible to see Bangladesh as a corruption free nation.” with Nazm-us-Saadat, who led the opposition bench becoming the best speaker and finally beat Manarat Intl. University to become champions and Aniqa Moinuddin (Mastermind) adjudged the best speaker with BUET defeating hosts SUB in the other final.

In the English public speaking competition, Mehdi Bin Samad (MIU), Nazm-us-Saadat (Mastermind) and Ashik Sarwar Hridoy (Rajshahi University) became champion, 1st runner-up and 2nd runner-up respectively.

The event was a huge success thanks to Ms. Tahsina Yasmin (Asst. Prof and Chief Coordinator, SDF), Mr. Abdullah M. Shukrana (President, SDF) and Md. Monir Hossain (Vice President, SDF) and all the coordinators, portfolio holders and members of the Stamford Debating Forum for their efforts. The tournament was indeed an event to remember and something pleasant to end the year with.