The Craft of Improving Argument
Last year in the beginning of April, under lockdown, social media users were spending longer spans on feeds for staying up to date with the news and current events. To reduce the time squandered at endless scrolling and to make productive use of the spare time, Debaters of DUDS came up with fantastic projects aiming at spreading knowledge.
Tamim Muntasir
For a long time, his curious mind had been researching,studying and expressing itself in writings.At some point, he found it harder to articulate the exact thoughts through writing than speaking. Meanwhile, he found debating as a knowledgeable discourse and the perfect platform to spread and cultivate knowledge.His friends motivated him in this venture too. It has been one year since he first started practising the art of debating . Life needs to have emptiness in it so that we can work to fulfill those holes.Now a days,he is working as a tutor for the beginners creating a great example for those who are late in introducing themselves in the debate world.
Ragib Anjum
Young Ragib went on exploring all co-curricular activities. He was the debater of the tournament, debater of the final, and champion at his first debate competition held by the Faridpur Debate Forum-7th Inter School Debate Competition, where many of the famous schools of the Faridpur region participated. During those days he also became Runner-up at the Creative Talent Hunt-18, a national level competition related to public speaking. Besides making clear and concise arguments, he is also skilled in the technical works related to debates. Among all the aspects, it was the concept of ‘diversity over confined’ which made him choose debating. Now he is winning championships for his university clubs. Moreover, he realizes that debaters are those who irrespective of their beliefs, tries to think every concept without biasness. He wishes to represent his country internationally & gain the trophy. He is greatly interested in Theology too.
“Success is just like a tree,gradually one is going to touch the top. Once you reach the crown, you may fall and need to do it all over again to reclaim that pinnacle. Success and failure will keep occuring alternatively in life”,this motivation from a respected teacher is helping Tasnim Chowdhury in reaching his goals.He was one of the prominent members in organizing Sheikh Shamimul Alam debate tournament. From the beginning to the end of the 1st Sheik Shamimul Alam Memorial Debate tournament.His dedication for debate pulled him towards DUDS.He says“Participating in Debate tournaments is not about being desperate to win,rather this platforms are for learning and spreading knowledge.Debate teaches to argue with respect towards the opposition”.
Ahmed Shohag
Inspired by his eldest brother who was the former president of Jagannath University Debating Society ; he stepped into the debating world. To him getting engaged in this debating world and practicing logical expression of acquired knowledge seemed to be the best way of putting an end to the procrastination caused by scrolling over the social media feeds. .According to him a debater is not confined to the course he/she is studying; rather for debating purposes, they need to know more about other arenas through the means of competitions. He loves and respects his every work following the sayings of his idol APJ Abdul Kalam- “If you salute your work, you do not have to salute anybody. If you pollute your work, you have to salute everybody”.
Dhaka University Debating Society
The motto of the Dhaka University Debating Society is,’ Expression is Knowledge”.During the interview session, these active debaters expressed what DUDS is to them is as following - “DUDS can't be said as only a club only,its considered as a family where knowledge practice, debate, human bondings, voluntary activities, friendships, etc are built up within the students. A floor of expressing concepts logically towards a family where critical thinking is done. It’s an informal platform to share knowledge about deep social topics with fun within the members from different departments. It adds a new dimension to language practice. An independent place for students inside Dhaka University, to breadth by avoiding political engagement on and off the campus unlike elsewhere in the world Once students join the club, they find a place to socialize with the people of the same thoughts.”There are examples of DUDS performing social voluntary activities. In this ongoing corona pandemic, during the beginning days of strict lockdown, when the economic growth slowed down; DUDS with their club funding as well as funding raised from high officials of various organizations and alumni of Dhaka University helped the insolvent students of the university. This project was named “পাশে আছি বন্ধু".
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| Dhaka University Debates Society-DUDS |
1st Sheikh Shamimul Alam Memorial Inter-Department Debate Competition
Late Dr. Sheikh Shamimul Alam was a professor of DU Botany Department. He died of antibiotic resistance disease at the age of 56. Conveying eternal peace of the departed honorable soul “1st Sheikh Shamimul Alam Memorial Inter-Department Debate Competition ” was organized. It is one of the famous inter-departmental tournaments to be added after “Nafia Gazi Inter-Department Tournament,” WORLD RELIGIONS DEBATE TOURNAMENT” and other INTER-HALL TOURNAMENTS. It was organized by the initiative of the Botany Club, DU with the technical support of DUDS. Tamim Muntasir, Ragib Anjum,Tahmid Al Muddassir Chowdhury were the team members. Tahmid Al Muddassir Chowdhury had been playing roles as motion generator all around the tournament. The 1st team above which the Botany team won was the Islamic history Department. They won the championship over the opposition Team from the Political Science department with the motion of ‘Government should bring injection or consumption control over antibiotic resistance’.It was the 1st departmental trophy and Ragib Anjum was the debater of the final.
“Artist for Change”
The British Council is the UK international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.British Council Bangladesh provides English and British Education and takes part in cultural exchanges.Under their counsel organization named Artist for Change,on a good motive for the society and environment. Nowadays young generations doing some bad practise like smashing eggs and cakes ,and which sometimes causing accidents during birthday celebration. So their first project was ‘’Green Happy Birthday’’.With an aim of gifting at least 1 tree at friends birthday.Nothing can be better than gifting life in ones birthday. For corona pandemic lockdown,this activities stopped but artist for change didn't .10 members came up with a most interesting and effective project.Ahmed Shohag used to do a show named “Love story with Shohag”.They used to tell various humans story and with that they used to spread covid precautions too.Then these people came up to ensure extra curricular activities like dance,music, debate and literature for all.There are universities,schools,colleges and many other non institutional people who are interested in debate but not getting proper guidance .Using various online platforms and 2 weeks per week they started their journey.Students behind opening this opportunities Rafiya Rahman ,Ahmed Shohag,Tamim Muntasir and Ragib Anjum.They build up debate practice sessions and “সাȼািহক পাঠচƠ” where discussion on various subjects like Economics,Philosophy,Technologies etc went on.After long class sessions they planned to arrange a tournament There was no registration fees for participation,as it was planned without business mentality.Groups within the students from different corner of the country participated.It was organized like a national level tournament.There were legendary judges. There was gift hampers for the winning team.After accomplishment and till goingwith classes with huge participation,turned to great success for the unit.And now they created Co-Leader panel with aim to take the sessions for debate teaching is continued
years after years.
Message for all:
Debate is a dynamic space.Tamim Muntasir says,”A debater has the chance to think naturally.We all want to speak within our comfort zone.But when a debater gets the motion which needs to be spoken out of comfort zone and speaking out of it ,convincing judges that's the challenge a debater faces.Before leaving debate one should think twice cause it's giving experience about life”.Except personal urgency ,if any one wants to stay with the knowledge and wisdom based practise with logic ,they shouldn't stay out of it.Ragib Anjum says ,”One should explore every sector of
co-curricular activities. If one hasn’t tried debate yet; he should come and try it for once. With a particular topic, he should try to say for and against the motion”.Social discourse is not created only with sdebating; writing and other platforms need to be explored too..
DYDF-India Family
"A small Bangladesh in the heart of India"
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