Robi-Drishty Debate Championship 2026 begins in Chattogram
The 31st Inter-School and 20th Inter-University Robi-Drishty Debate Championship 2026 began in Chattogram on Friday, bringing together 56 educational institutions from across Bangladesh to promote critical thinking, logical reasoning and leadership among young people.
The competition, organised by Drishty Chattogram with sponsorship from Robi Axiata PLC, was inaugurated at a ceremony at the Theatre Institute Auditorium, with the grand debate carnival scheduled to conclude with the final round and closing ceremony on 9 October.
The championship features 32 schools from Chattogram metropolitan area and 24 universities and debating clubs from across the country, making it one of the country’s largest debate competitions.
Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain inaugurated the event as chief guest, while Barrister Shahed Alam, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer of Robi Axiata PLC; corporate personality and lyricist Asif Iqbal; Sheikh Mainul Islam, Senior Cluster Market Director at Robi Axiata PLC; and Mahfuz Sobhan Ronnie, General Manager (Sustainability) at Robi Axiata PLC, attended as special guests.
The ceremony was presided over by Masud Bakul, founder of Drishty Chattogram, and addressed by Kashshaful Huq Shehzad, chairman of the tournament committee; Saifuddin Munna, convener; Saber Shah, tournament director; and Saif Chowdhury, former president of Drishty Chattogram.
In his inaugural address, Mayor Shahadat Hossain highlighted the importance of debate in fostering intellectual development, tolerance and leadership among students.
“Debate is not merely a competition, but one of the most effective platforms for developing logic, tolerance, and leadership qualities,” he said, emphasising the role of knowledge and reason-based thinking in shaping young minds.
Barrister Shahed Alam highlighted Robi’s continued association with the championship as its sponsor for 16 consecutive years, reaffirming the company’s commitment to nurturing young talent.
“Robi believes that if the innate imagination of people is nurtured properly, it can bring great value to the nation,” he said.
Asif Iqbal encouraged young people to engage in structured reasoning, cultural activities and constructive discussions while respecting opposing viewpoints. He described the ability to analyse issues logically as an essential skill for personal development and navigating life’s challenges.
Masud Bakul highlighted Drishty Chattogram’s longstanding contribution to the country’s debate culture, noting that the organisation had been arranging inter-school debating competitions for 31 years and inter-university championships for 20 years.
He also expressed gratitude to Robi Axiata PLC for its 16-year strategic partnership, which has supported the organisation’s efforts to promote debate among students.
The ceremony was attended by Shahidul Islam, senior organiser of Drishty Chattogram; Jewel Ahmed, convener, and the joint convener of the competition committee; Sadman Sakib Jisan and Sumaiya Islam, deputy directors of the tournament committee; Munna Mumdar, coordinator of the tournament committee; Dr Yasin Sakib, coordinator of the school competition committee; Junaid Asad, co-ordinator; Mujibul Huq, head of the media and communication committee; Mehraj Bin Alam, joint head of the committee; and Arafat Kabir, joint head of the hospitality committee.
Mujibul Huq said the participation of leading debaters from educational institutions across the country would further enrich Chattogram’s longstanding debate culture.
The championship is expected to provide a platform for students to exchange ideas, develop analytical skills and engage in constructive intellectual discourse, while strengthening the tradition of competitive debating in Bangladesh.
