Feature

May Logic Prevail

A.T.M. Mohitul Islam

Chittagong University Debating Society (CUDS) is a leading organization in the debate arena of Bangladesh. Established in 1996, it has played an important role to promote the debate movement across the country. This notable effort of CUDS is to make a generation based on logic and information. CUDS organises various kinds of programmes such as inter university or department or school debate competitions, workshops, debate festivals based on demo debate, etc. Also, CUDS performs some social duties in emergency situations such as collecting fund for the natural disaster affected people of the country.

Inter-departmental debate championship is a priority based programme among the various programmes taken by CUDS. With the theme 'Adharey, Jukti Uthuk Jegey.... ( in the darkness, may logic prevail... )', CUDS organised the '10th Bangla and 4th English Inter Department Debate Championship 2009' this month at the University of Chittagong.

This Inter Department competition was the result of a two month long preparation and hard work. The participation of 42 teams from 32 departments gave the entire university a festive look for those three days.

The event was inaugurated by Dr. Md Alauddin, Pro-VC, University of Chittagong. In his speech, Dr. Alauddin praised CUDS for their activities in the university as well as across the country. Among others, Dr. Gazi Saleh Uddin, Dean, faculty of social science, Dr. Harunur Rashid, Dean, faculty of business administration and Sayed Md. Sirajul Islam, managing director, Well Group, were present.

The main part of the programme, debate competition, started at the end of the opening ceremony. In the first round, there were 21 debates between teams from 32 departments in different venues. The topics of the debates were selected from national and international subjects. Politics, economics, gender, philosophy, environment etc. took main preference. The teachers of the University and renowned debaters from Dhaka and Chittagong took part in the judgment. The formations of debates were parliamentary and Asian for Bangla and English respectively. The best speakers of the first round were selected for the public speech competition in the closing ceremony.

The second day saw the second round, quarterfinals and semi finals. The most exciting debate was the semi final of the English debate. Two teams, Department of English and Department of Finance and Banking, fought it out in the battle of words. After the debate was over, there was still a tense excitement. Who is getting the title as the finalist? Victory went to the Department of Finance and Banking.

The Department of English came to the stage once again in the first half of the third day. They were the finalist of the Bangla debate. It should be noted that the same team from Department of English took part in both Bangla and English debate. The other finalist of the Bangla debate was the Department of Statistics.

After the Bangla final, the final of English debate started and was to be held between the department of Finance & Banking and the department of Management Studies. It was a grand final. The auditorium was a filled to the brim. The three-day-long manifold debate competition came to the end with this round.

The second half of the day was left for the ending ceremony. The guests of the first day were present as well along with Dr. Md. Zakir Hossain, Dean, Faculty of law, Tariful Islam, C.E.O, Road 2 Sky Ltd, Shoaib Chowdhury, Chairman, Worldgate.

In the prize giving speech, Pro-VC of CU Dr. Alauddin congratulated the winners. Islam was very glad to be connected with such kind of well initiative. Dr. Hossain said, “the responsibility of the university authority to CUDS does not end only with the administrative help; to give entire financial patronization is also the responsibility of the university authority'.” He criticized the present education system by saying, 'there is no exchange of thought between the teachers and the students today. The relation between them is one sided. It should be bi-lateral'.

After that, the General Secretary of CUDS and convener of the function Shonkar Kumar Chakrabartee announced the results of the finals. He gave an end to all the speculations announcing- 'The champion of Bangla debate...Silence for some moments followed ... The department of English'!The whole auditorium filled with cheers. Then came the term of English debate which was won by the department of Finance & Banking!'

In the ending speech of Dr. Mahbubul Hoque, the moderator of CUDS, the three day event came to an end. In his speech, he expressed gratitude to all the sponsors, university authority, members of CUDS and to all the personnel involved in the function.