Feature

ALL the audience stood up, all the hands applauded, and the crowd welcomed the chief guest of the award giving ceremony of 'Star Campus Drishty Debate for Generation Next '08' Revolutionarist, Mr. Binod Bihari Chowdhury. Only two years away from ageing a century, Mr. Vinod Bihari told, he was born in a very poor family, and he did not have the ability to come and study in town. He was not as fortunate as the children in front of him are, to study in an English medium school. He is happy of their enthusiasm to gain knowledge. The crowd cheered him and paid him his due respect by presenting him a standing ovation and clapped at all the remarks he made.

As a continuation to the series of inter-class debate competitions being held in a number of prominent schools in Chittagong, the fifth championship took place in Sunshine Grammar School. Two schools, namely: Chittagong Sunshine School and Sunshine grammar School, competed together to the finals. The competition started from February 18, 2008 with the presence of Mrs. Safia Gazi Rahman, Principal, Sunshine Grammar School. The grand finale and the award giving ceremony took place on the 12th of March, 2008.

The finalists of Chittagong Sunshine School debated on the topic, 'newspaper is much more effective than television as mass media' where for the motion was awarded the glory of championship. On the other hand, Sunshine Grammar School debated on the topic, 'democracy is not suitable for third world countries.' Here, debaters against the motion were judged the champion. The adjudicators throughout the debate were Mr. Aminul Islam, Senior Teacher, Sunshine Grammar School, Shahidul Islam, Joint Secretary, Drishty Chittagong, Tazrian Shahid and Salman Zahir, Executive, IUB Debating Club. The Debates were conducted by Mrs. Safia Gazi Rahman, Principal, Sunshine Grammar School, and Mr. Adnan Mannan, Joint Secretary, Drishty Chittagong.

The event was made proud with the presence of Revolutionary Mr. Binod Bihari Chowdhury, the chief guest. The special guest of the ceremony was Professor Syed Ahsanul Alam Parvez, Chairman, Center for Good Governance. Also the guests of the events were, Mr. Masud Bakul, President, Drishty Chittagong, Mr. Kashshaful haque Shehjad, Vice President, Drishty Chittagong, Dwaipayon Barua, Staff Reporter, The Daily Star, and Mr. Adnan Mannan, Joint Secretary, Drishty Chittagong. The president of the prize distribution ceremony was Mrs. Safia Gazi Rahman, Principal, Sunshine Grammar School. The debate championship was entirely co-ordinated by Masudur Rahman, Raquibul Huda, Members, Drishty Chittagong, and Afsana Rahman Toma, Secretariat Member, Drishty Chittagong. Radio partner of the competition was Radi Foorti.

Participants throughout the debate were:
Saify Benajir Ahmed, Umer Aiman Khan, Eshfaq Ullah, Rubaiya Haroon, Ishfaque Kamal, Akramul Hossain, Aseer Intisar, Mehral Musa, Nusrat Jahan, Sheefa Aziz, Tashnuva Siddique, Adity Sheyontony Das, Taslima Mahmood, Israt Jahan, Fatima Shirin, Fashiul Alam, Zubair Rahman, Abu Huraira, Sanjeeda Hossain, Sadia Afrin, Farhad Hossain Shuvo, Insiyah Sadik, Jaodat Hasib, Arafi Anwar, Zinnan Akhtar, Saika Samrin.

Sunshine Grammar School and College:
The school was established in 1985, one of the first to start O' level and A' level GCE education in Chittagong. The school facilitates education from play group to class XII in its 3 spacious campuses. Since its start, the school has been consistently producing prodigies. During the past years, students passing from the school have joined more than 22 prominent universities in USA, UK and Singapore. From 1995, the school has introduced its national curriculum wing in the name of Chittagong Sunshine School and later, Chittagong Sunshine College. The school achieved the glory of best O' level and A' level results in Bangladesh in the year 2006.

(Writer is a student, EEE, IUT, and Member, Drishty Chittagong.)