After Class

The War of Logic ends
at Notre Dame College

Sifat Ahmed Khan

Notre Dame Debating Club successfully ended their 23rd National Debate Competition 2011 on the college premises on July 23, 2011. The closing ceremony was presided over by the club moderator Father Adam S Pereira, CSC. The chief guest of the closing ceremony was the Advocate Promode Mankin, State Minister for Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh while Ahmed Kamal Khan Chowdhury, Deputy Managing Director, Prime Bank Limited was the special guest of that event. The Founder of Notre Dame Debating Club Father R W Timm, CSC and the Co-Moderator Kamal Gomes were also present at the ceremony.

In his welcome speech, Father Adam S Pereira, CSC said, “Notre Dame Debating Club is an institution that has been practicing and spreading the right form of debating for the last 58 years, and is continuing to do so.” On the other hand, Father R W Timm, CSC said, “Debate is not about just speeches; it is a culture of appreciating the right and criticising the wrong.” Ahmed Kamal Khan Chowdhury congratulated the club authority for arranging such a competition. Recalling his college life at Notre Dame College, the State Minister said, “Competitions as such are about making future generations more eligible and responsible towards the country when it's needed.”

Notre Dame Debating Club arranged the National Competition in three particular segments. The first sphere of the tourney was about school debate competition with 20 participant schools. Ideal Debating Club-3 achieved the championship title, while Ideal Debating Club-1 was the runner up team of the T-Format debate, a format initiated by the Notre Dame Debating Club. Md Kazim Reza Chowdhury, member of Ideal Debating Club-3 received the Debater of the Tournament award and Samina Jahan, debater of Motijheel Government Girls High School was the Champion of Bangla Barowari Debate. The second part of the tourney was Inter Club Bangla Debate Competition. Around 32 teams from different universities and colleges of Dhaka as well as Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, KUET, CUET and Chittagong University participated in this round. The two finalists were Notre Dame College Blue Team and Remians Debating Society '71. Notre Dame College Blue Team was the champions and Remians Debating Society '71 was the runner up team. Notre Dame College Blue team member Ahmed Muhaimin Chowdhury received the Debater of the Tournament award and Sifat Ahmed Khan received the Championship award for the Inter Club Bangla Barowari competition. The last part of this great competition was Inter Club English Debate Competition. In this segment, 36 teams from different universities and colleges participated. The competition was arranged in accordance to the World University Debate Competition and the British parliamentary format. North South University-3 was the champion team of this round and London College of Legal Studies-Red was the runner up. The two other finalist teams were Notre Dame College-1 and North South University-1. Md Tanveer Arnob Karim from Notre Dame College-1 achieved the Debater of the Tournament award. Ehsanur Rahman Abir from Notre Dame College was the champion of the English Public Speaking competition.

The grand event ended through the prize giving ceremony, appreciating the talent of these bright debaters.

(The writer is a student and debater of Notre Dame College.)