Stamford Debate Forum wins Shadow Parliament championship
STAMFORD Debate Forum of Stamford University Bangladesh clinched the Shadow Parliament Debate Competition title, defeating Manarat International University at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation today.
Debate for Democracy organised the competition, with the grand finale debating the motion, "The misuse of social media is increasing social instability."
Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, Major General (retired) Md Emdad Ul Bari, attended as the chief guest. He said freedom of expression is a fundamental right, but must be exercised responsibly.
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Describing Facebook as "more powerful than many small states", Emdad Ul Bari said the platform's reach has increased both its opportunities and risks. He called for greater public awareness, respect for privacy and responsible online conduct.
He said the BTRC has blocked around 26,000 online gambling websites and facilitated the removal of approximately 20,000 instances of hate speech from online platforms over the past year. He also warned that criminals use social media to spread misinformation, commit financial fraud and incite hatred and violence.
Chairman of Debate for Democracy, Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran, presided over the programme. He said rumours, misinformation and offensive online content are undermining political, social and religious harmony, and called for effective regulation alongside responsible internet use.
The adjudicating panel comprised Professor Abu Muhammad Rais, Rokeya Parvin Jui, Dr SM Morshed and journalists Samir Kumar Dey and Monir Millat.
The winning Stamford team comprised Farhatun Nahar (LLB08210580), Faiza Nuhan (JRN08306553), MD Jubaid Hashem (EC008405683), Shaad Islam Saud (CEN08111214) and Dulari Akter (LLB08210541). Trophies, crests and certificates were presented at the closing ceremony.
The delegation was accompanied by the Convener of Stamford Debate Forum and Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Marketing at Stamford University, Bangladesh, Mohammad Nazmul Huq.
