Feature

CUDS-Bdjobs.com Inter Club and
Inter Hall Debate Competition-2010

A.T.M. Mohitul Islam Sohag

TAKING the slogan "jukti diye jalai alo,ghuchai joto moner kalo", Chittagong University Debating Society (CUDS) organized the 1st Inter Hall and Inter Club (Bangla & English) Debate Championship'10 on January14- 18, 2010. All residential halls and hostels of the university and various debate clubs of Chittagong took part in the competition. It was a five- day-long programme which started on January 14, 2010.

The Hall Debate began on the 14 January and continued till 15 January. Around 30 teams from various halls and hostels competed in this event. Some eligible teams that are remarkable for their meritorious debates are- Shahjalal-Take the Lead, Suhrawardi-Ekushe, Suhrawardi- Swadhinota, Alaol- Swopno, A.F.Rahman-2, Preetilata Hall, Deshnetri Begum Khaleda Zia hall, Shamsun Nahar hall, Shah Amanat-1 etc.(in Bangla ) and Shahjaalal- MCC- Silver, Shahjalal- MCC- Gold, Shahjalal-SLP-Harbinger, Shah Amanat-1, Alaol- Concerned etc.(in English.) The club debate was held on the 16- 17 January. The remarkable teams from this category were CUDS- Katapahar, Dristi- Venus, CUDS- 11/11, Dristy- Phonix, CUDS- Jhupree, etc. (in Bangla) and UITS, CUDS-1, Premier University Debating Club, CUDS-2, Dristi Chittagong, CUDS-6 etc. (in English). The topics for the debates were selected from the national and international contemporary issues, for instance, 'This House believes that we failed to face the climate change', 'This House believes that the obstacles to the development of the third world countries are some of the intrinsic problem that haunt the third world countries', This House would ban face book', 'This House would ban the broadcasting of the recordings produced by terrorists' etc. Teachers of the university, renowned national debaters, adjudicators from renowned debating clubs, and ex-members of CUDS took the chairs of judges and speakers.

The formal inaugural ceremony was held at 11.30 am on January 17. Dr. Gazi Saleh Uddin, Dean, Faculty of Social Science, was the Chief Guest of the function.

Dr. Zakir Hossain, Dean, Facullty of Law, Dr. Harun Aur Rashid, Dean, Faaculty of Business Administration, A.K.M. Fahim Mashrur Chowdhury, CEO, bdjobs.com,Badruddoza Jewel, President , CUDS and Masud Bin Jamal General Secretary, CUDS were present as Special Guests. In speech, Dr.Gazi Saleh Uddin gave thanks to all of the debaters for participating in this kind of merit and logic based programme and wished a great success of the championship. Dr .Zakir Hossain thanked CUDS for their effort to make such arrangements on a regular basis. Fahim Mashrur Chowdhury expressed his joy and pride for getting the opportunity to be the sponsor of such a programme organized by CUDS. Dr. Mahbubul Haque, moderator, CUDS and professor, Department of Bangla, inaugurated the programme.

A seminar on carrier and job, titled as 'Preparing Yourself for the Local and Global Job Market', was held. A.K.M. Fahim Mashrur Chowdhury, C.E.O, bdjobs.com, gave a valuable lecture in this seminar. It was a hit session for the 4th year and Master's students.

In debate session, quarter finals and semi finials held on the day. The war of logic-anti logic continued till night and eight talented teams in four categories qualified for the finals to be held on the next day. They were- Shahjalal-Take the Lead and Shah Amanat-1 (hall debate- Bangla); Shahjalal-MCC-Silver and Shajalal-Harbinger (hall debate- English); CUDS- Katapahar and CUDS- 11/11 (Club debate- Bangla); Dristi Chittagong and CUDS-6 (club debate- English).

Md. Rubayet Rakib, Co-ordinator, National Television Debate, BTV, Md. Tazul Islam, Ex-President, CUDS, Md. Zia Ul Haque Shekh, ex-GS, DUDS, Masud Bakul, president, Dristi Chittagong, M.A. Samad Hemel, Ex-President, CUDS, Adnan Mannan, Lecturer, IUB, Mithun Mallik, President, Panthojon, Bodruddoza Jewel, president, CUDS, A.B.M. Masud Bn Jamal, GS, CUDS and Mohit Sohag, Join-Secretary, CUDS were in the panels of the adjudicators while Rubayet Rakib, Tazul Islam, Adnan Mannan and Badruddoza Jewel took the Chairs of the speaker in respective sessions. The 1st round of the competition was held in a traditional format and rest of the rounds followed the parliamentary format. Each session saw a sensational debate. Data-information, example- explanation, logic and rebuttals made the whole auditorium of B.B.A faculty excited.

With the final sessions, the five-day-long programme reached to the end and it saw a grand ceremony of prize to the winners. Dr. Zakir Hossain, Dean, Faculty of Law and Advisor to CUDS, was the chief guest of the day. Md. Shahidul Haque, Assistant Professor, Mass Communication & Journalism, Md. Monirujjaman Bhuyan, Assistant Professor, Statistics, Prokash Roy Chowdhury, Manager- Sales &Marketing, bdjobs.com, Badruddoza jewel, president, CUDS and Masud Bin jamal general secretary were also present. Bodruddoja Jewel announced the names of the winners. The two best speakers of the championship were Majed Mohammad and Matiur Rahman Bhuyan . MCC-Bronge' that beat another team from same hall, 'Shahjalal-SLP-Harbinger'. 'CUDS- 11/11' won the match against 'CUDS-Katapahar' in the club debate (Bangla) and CUDS-6 became the winner by defeating Dristy Chittagong in the club debate (English). The five-day-long program came to the end with the ending speech of Dr. Mahbubul Haque. He expressed gratitude to the sponsor company 'bdjobs.com' for their patronization, all the media partners for their cooperation, and all the debaters for being the part of the program.

(Writer is a third year student of CU and the Join-Secretary of CUDS.)