Bangladeshi youths win Australaisan debating championship Krabi Australs, 2023

Three Bangladeshi youths have made the nation proud with their incredible achievement at the Australasian Intervarsity Debate Championships 2023. 

Team IUT from the Islamic University of Technology, comprising Tanzim Noor Tanmoy, Tamim Ahmed and Evan Ashfaque, represented Bangladesh on the international platform of this esteemed debating competition. Their participation was among the 60 teams that competed in this year's championship.

To attend the tournament, the team flew to Krabi, Thailand, on the 1st of July, 2023. Teams from Australia, Newzealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Korea, India, Taiwan, Thailand, Hongkong and Bangladesh engaged in intense competition, vying for a spot in the knockout rounds. 

After 8 rigorous preliminary rounds, only 2 teams preserved and advanced to the EFL final round. With years of experience and unbeatable debating skills, Team IUT ultimately emerged triumphant, seizing the prestigious trophy. The debate structure followed the 3v3 Asian Parliamentary style. 

Tanmoy and Tamim from Team IUT were honoured with the 7th and 8th best speakers title of the EFL category, respectively. Tamim Ahmed also won the Best Speaker Award in the final. National Development Engineers Ltd-NDE has reportedly sponsored Team IUT.

Tamim Ahmed shared his tournament experience, "Krabi Australs is definitely the best in-person tournament we have attended so far. The motions that were brought up by the crafty adj core of the tournament initiated in-depth discussions on topics like sports, mental health, international relations and many more areas." 

"Sometimes the pressure of being the sole representative of your nation might get to you," Tamim continued, "but at times, that also works as inspiration to get through tough rounds. Probably, that's why we beat heavyweight Kiwi teams from Auckland and Otago University and keep the trend of Banglawash up and running."

We asked Tanzim Noor Tanmoy to share some tips for beginners and how to reach this height. Tanmoy remarked, "The advice I always give for bettering debating is to keep asking 'why.' Whenever faced with a motion, instead of thinking about arguments, think about the issue of the motion, what you need to solve/ lobby for, how your team achieves something, and also why achieving that is important, and finally, complete this causal link." 

"I give this advice to anyone who asks me anything similar because it keeps my cases and speeches in check, and it's how I approach debating. There's no flashy secret; you gotta do the legwork, put in the effort, and the rest will follow!"

The team's youngest member, Evan Ashfaque, shared his overall experience from this international tournament, "The overall experience throughout the tournament was amazing. We had off days after the preliminary round ended. We tried to utilise that time by visiting prominent tourist attractions like the sunset point at Khaothong Hill, Elephant Sanctuary near Aonang and Tiger Cave Temple. We also spent significant time roaming through the local street shops and exploring the beautiful beaches at Krabi."

IUT Debating Society is one of Bangladesh's finest debating societies. It has groomed debaters to face challenges, overcome obstacles and reach new heights throughout the years with success. 

While accumulating numerous national and international trophies, the society looks forward to continuing its journey with the bright and dedicated souls of the nation.

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