Voices unite at Adamjee Cantonment College

From May 08 to May 10, Adamjee Cantonment College will host ACC Genesis 2025, a three-day debating tournament that brings together 36 of Bangladesh's most promising teams. What began as a quiet conversation between two teachers has grown into a landmark event on the national debate calendar. Moderator Nilufar Yeasmin and Co-moderator Nusrat Nowrin imagined ACC not only as an academic institution but as a platform for voices that needed to be heard. Their vision gave birth to ACC Genesis, and in its second year the event burns brighter than ever.

Organisers and students have taken charge of every detail. They secured sponsors, invited debate clubs, arranged venues and managed logistics. Of 45 teams that registered, 36 will compete in the Asian three on three parliamentary style format adopted from the United Asian Debating Championship. In each of the five preliminary rounds, two teams of three speakers clash over a motion-one team affirming, the other negating-before power pairing ensures the strongest advance. The top 16 then move to octofinals, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals and a grand final judged by up to nine adjudicators .

University of Dhaka's Institute of Business Administration, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh University of Professionals, Islamic University of Technology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and the University of Chittagong will send teams. Notre Dame and ACC's own debate club will join them.

A panel of core adjudicators will lend their experience to both judging and mentoring. Asif Mehedi Adi, Abrar Farhan Zaman, Mahatir Muhammad, Shirsha Songshoptak and Adel Mostaque Ahmed will evaluate speaking style, argumentative logic and strategic approach. Their feedback sessions after each round offer participants concrete guidance on refining rebuttals, strengthening points of information and polishing persuasive delivery.

Debate format and preparation: The United Asian Debating Championship format challenges teams to think on their feet. In each round, motions range from policy questions to ethical dilemmas and abstract propositions. Speakers have limited preparation time to craft cases, anticipate opposition arguments and coordinate with teammates. Five preliminary rounds ensure that each team faces opponents of similar strength, while the elimination rounds demand consistency under pressure. This rigorous structure cultivates adaptability, teamwork and quick analytical reasoning .

Why debate matters for students: Debate is more than competition. It is a form of intellectual training that equips students with critical life skills. By researching diverse topics, constructing coherent arguments and responding in real time to challenges, debaters develop leadership, negotiation, intuition, eloquence and articulation . These abilities translate directly into academic success, professional effectiveness and civic engagement. In an era when information is abundant and viewpoints often polarised, the capacity to listen, assess evidence and speak persuasively is invaluable. Debate clubs serve as incubators for future leaders-lawyers, policymakers, business executives-who must navigate complexity, bridge differences and inspire consensus.

ACC's legacy of debate excellence: Adamjee Cantonment College has earned trust through a decade of hosting major tournaments. In 2016 it staged the first ACCDC Nationals, drawing 1,500 attendees from 48 institutions; in 2017 the second Nationals broke records with 56 institutions; in 2018, some 3,000 students from 64 institutions competed in the third Nationals . In 2019 ACC co-organised the 16th BDC Pre-Worlds, the nation's largest high school English debate tournament, which selected Team Bangladesh for the World Schools Debating Championship and attracted 1,400 participants from 64 institutions . In 2024 ACC Genesis introduced the UADC format to Bangladesh for the first time. Over 1,600 people attended, transforming the campus into a festival of ideas, complete with food corners, relaxation areas and friendship forging activities .

Campus on the eve of Genesis: As May 08 approaches, ACC's corridors hum with preparation. Whiteboards are filled with flowcharts, practice speeches echo through classrooms and student volunteers finalise details from registration desks to refreshment stalls. The atmosphere is calm yet charged, a collective intake of breath before the intellectual storm.

Over three days, participants will engage in highstakes debate, testing logic, ethics and creativity. They will benefit from expert adjudication, build networks across institutions and experience the camaraderie that debate uniquely fosters.

When the final gavel will fall on May 10, ACC Genesis 2025 will have done more than crown champions. It will have reinforced the importance of debate as a tool for critical thinking, empathy and leadership.

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