Feature

Masud Bakul

To bid adieu to corruption the event of Star Campus-Drishty Debate for Generation Next'08 in Mastermind International School has concluded on a happy note. Among the 48 members of 16 items and among the 1000 students of Mastermind International School the Anti- Corruption Campaign that spread over is, “Bangladesh is our country, the soil of this country is ours, the flag is ours and the freedom is ours.” So to make everything beautiful, the new generation is determined to make debate more popular and thus make the new generation more logical.

Drishty Chittagong organized the programme in 6 prominent English Medium School with the sponsorship of The Daily Star. In this event the students of different schools took part on the basis of class or house. The program was inaugurated by Professor Ghulam Abu Mohammad, Principal, Mastermind International School on the 15th of January, 2008. The Vice-Principal of the school Huma Zaman, Moderator Nishan Elahi, Secretariet Member of Drishty, Ctg. Afsana Rahman Choudhury Toma, Members of Drishty Tafhimur Rashid and Arif Khan were also present there. In the inaugural session, 4 debates of junior group were held between Aphrodite and Psyche, Venus and Achillies, Hercules and Saturn, Jupiter and Apollo. Among them Aphrodite, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter reached semi-final. On the 16th , the 1st round of senior group debate was held between Cupid and Jaguar, Phoenix and Echo, Orpheus and Zeus, Unicorn and Spartan. Cupid, Echo, Zeus and Spartan went to the semi-final. The semi-final round was held on 17th January and in this round from the junior group Aphrodite and Venus and from the senior group Cupid and Spartan won. The grand finals of the two groups took place on 23rd of January, 2008. The topics were “The present citizens of Chittagong are happier” and “Our present education system is not able to create an enlightened generation”. In this debate from the junior group by beating Aphrodite, Venus made it as the champion and from the senior group by beating Cupid, Spartan became the champion. Mubtasin Shabab and Syeda Nafisa were the best speakers of the final round of junior and senior group respectively. The chief guest was Mr. Abul Momen, Advisor of the Editor of The Daily Star. In his speech he said that every individual person has his own distinctive opinion in a debate.

Honorable guest Ahsan Habib, Chairman MIS, the president of the prize giving ceremony Professor Ghulam Abu Mohammad thanked Drishty and The Daily Star for choosing their school as the venue for the Debate competition. Also, the ceremony was ornamented with the presence of Shahidul Islam, Bureau Chief, The Daily Star, Saif Chy. General Secretary Drishty Chittagong, Masud Bakul, President Drishty, Chittagong, Abdul Quayum, Executive Sales, Radio Foorti, Shamim Mahmud Choudhury, Mohammad Rashiduzzaman, Enamul Hoque, Asadul Hoque, Directors of Mastermind International School, Homa Zaman, Vice- Principal, Akbar Hossain, Former Chairman of the same school. Radio partner- Radio Foorti.

The judges of the competition were- Syed Rifat Farooq, Sumon Banik, Razib Sen, Mainul Abedin, Masuma Nazrin, Ziaul Hoque, Dolan Ghosh Dastidar, Mohammad Nishan Elahi, Afsana Rahman Choudhury., Arif Khan and Tafhim-ur-Rashid.

Participating teams were : Venus (Class-7) : Tasfia Mahmud Choudhury, Sharika Tasnim, Mubtasin Shabab. Herclues (Class-7) :Syed Saleh Imtiaz, Md. Mainuddin, Fahim Bin Sarwar. Unicorn (Class-8) : Falak Warind, Tashfia Rashid, Khawla Mansur Nuhash. Echo (Class-8) : Araf Zahin, Fahimul Islam, Syed Mushfiq Hyder, Soe Thein Pru. Orpheus (Class-8) : Mehaz Hossain, Anindita Das, Nigar Sultana. Jaguar (Class-8) : Sanjida Ansar, Raisbul Islam, Medina Ali.

Pheonix (Class-9) : Shahnaz Akhter, Aushik Barua, Farzana Akhter. Zeus (Class-9): Faiza Zeba, Mufrat Anwar, Ibnat Sifat, Mashroof Ahmed. Cupid (Class-9) : Abdullah Shahid, Nafisa Anika, Sameera Hussain Wadood, Farzana Mukta, Mubashra Musa Moniha. Spartan (Class-9) : Anam Khanam, Raisa Nusrat Parvin, Ishan Saif.

Mastermind International School from its establishment in the year 2000 offers the best of both worlds, a unique combination of British style education with a truly international community and national feeling and challenges of the society in the coming year. Principal of the School Professor Ghulam Abu Mohammad said that they are committed to achieving excellence in all areas of curriculum and provide caring and supportive environment to allow children to thrive academically. Mastermind International School employs high caliber teachers, who are well qualified and experienced in delivering the curriculum IGCSE 'O' level and 'A' level and are dedicated to the promotion of high quality teaching. Our teachers/pupils ratio is excellent to ensure children's success.

(Writer-President, Drishty, Chittagong)