Spotlight

And the winning team is…IBA-1!
IBA National English Debate Championship 2007

Kamrul Hasan Khan

In a hall room at Radisson Water Garden filled with tensed silesnce, Dr Abdun Noor Tushar, a renowned debater/adjudicator/judge of the country, announced the results of the IBA National English Debate Championship 2007. Students cheered loudly as he said… “and the winning team is IBA-1!”

The results of the final were announced during the championship dinner and prize giving ceremony at the hotel on August 12. The gala event of the three-day long national debate championship ended with the announcement of the winning team and the runner up team the NSU-1.

The debating event saw some brilliant participants engaging in verbal battle on varied topics such as, Privatisation Is Not The Solution; Where Beauty Glows, Brain Never Flows; The Biggest Terror Is The War On Terror; Minus Two, Will Do; Religious Values Should Override Cultural Freedom; The World Cannot Bank On The World Bank; The Corrupt Shall Again Erupt; China Is Better Off With Communism; Old Conformists Cannot Be New Reformists and Parliamentary Democracy Does Not Suit Bangladesh.

A total of 24 teams from 16 public and private universities took part in parliamentary-type debate competition titled 'IBA National Debate Championship- 2007.'

The teams were from the Dhaka University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), American International University of Bangladesh, Brac University, Chittagong University, Dhaka Medical College, Independent University of Bangladesh, Islamic University of Technology, Jahangirnagar University, Khulna University, North South University, Rajshahi University, Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College, Stamford University, University of Asia Pacific, United International University and Institute of Business Administration are participating in the competition.

Three teams of from the IBA participated in the competition.

The debate competition, organised by the Communication Club of the Institute of Business Administration (IBACC) of Dhaka University (DU) and sponsored by ACI Ltd began on August 10. This was the second such initiative by the IBACC. The Daily Star, Channel i and Radio Foorti were the media partners.

In the first round of the competition, the winners were Dhaka University Debating Society (Duds), Buet (team 1), Chittagong University, IBA (team 1), IBA (team 3), AIUB (team 1), NSU (team 1), Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka Medical College, University of Asia Pacific, NSU (team 2), Brac, IUT (team 1) and Chittagong University Debating Society (Cuds). In the quarterfinals, Brac University took on IBA (Team 3), Dhaka University Debating Society (Duds) fought AIUB, NSU (Team 1) competed against Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), while NSU (Team 2) took on IBA (Team 1). Of them, IBA (Team 1) and NSU (Team 1) took on Duds and IBA (Team 3) respectively in the semi-finals.

IBA (Team 1) faced NSU (Team 1) in the final on the topic “Parliamentary Democracy does not suit Bangladesh”.

The IBA (Team 1) emerged as the champion of the debate competition. Mohammad Arbaaz Nayeem of IBA was adjudged the best speaker of the competition.

DU Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz attended the award giving ceremony as the chief guest while Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof AFM Yusuf Haider and Managing Director of ACI Limited Arif Dowla were present as special guests. Prof Muhammad Ziaul Haq Mamun, director of IBA, presided over the ceremony.