DILIGENT DELEGATES AT BANMUN 2016
Had anyone tried to sneak in the Adamjee Cantonment College, Dhaka on July 14, he would have seen Wasiuzzaman, a fifth grader from Juvenile English Medium School of the capital, discussing on Malaysia's policy regarding the climate change in the UNEP committee of this year's Bangladesh Model UN conference. From the very first day, the determined child carried the position paper of his country where his research on the agenda was documented and built arguments to protect his nation from climate change.
Wasi was one of the many young minds to attend the conference; there were 619 students of different age groups up to 18, from different schools and colleges of the country who attended the largest ever Model UN conference of the country, BANMUN 2016.
This year, BANMUN unearthed its eighth session under the theme "Climate Change and Sustainable Development Goals" and like every year United Nations Youth and Students Association of Bangladesh (UNYSAB) organised it with the support of United Nations Information Centre, Dhaka.
The conference kicked off on July 13 at the Adamjee Cantonment College with an inauguration ceremony which was marked by a tribute to Gulshan Attack victims. The ceremony was attended by Advocate Sanjida Khanam MP as the chief guest with M. Moniruzzaman as the special guest and in presence of the Secretary General of the conference, Mohammad Mamun Mia.
The delegates were divided into ten groups for ten assigned committees, UN Security Council, UN Development Programme, UN Environment Programme, UN Human Rights Council, Economic and Financial Committee, International Monetary Fund, Social Cultural and Humanitarian Committee, World Health Organisation, World Trade Organisation, and Nobel Laureates respectively.
UNYSAB invited Syed Muntasir Mamun, currently serving as the Director of East Asia and Pacific Wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the "Meet the Dignitary" session on the third day of the conference through which the delegates enjoyed the opportunity to interact with a career diplomat who gave them the insights of international relations, diplomacy and the art of negotiation.
BANMUN 2016 was not all about negotiation, debates and diplomacy. The cultural night, called "BANMUN Socials" facilitated the delegates and organisers to have some moments to get entertained after the hours of arguments. Both delegates and organisers performed on the night and amused the viewers.
The conference ended on July 17 with a closing plenary, where the resolutions were presented and followed by a closing ceremony which was attended by the Chairman of University Grants Commission, Professor Abdul Mannan as the chief guest. Nahim Razzaq MP, Chairman of Dhaka University's Women and Gender Studies Department Dr. Sayed Saikh Imtiaz and the Principal of the college Brigadier General Tameem Ahmed Chowdhury, ndc, psc were among the special guests.
The guests imparted speeches on the importance of diplomacy and the current scenario of the country. The awardees of the conference, the Best Delegate, Outstanding Delegate, Special Mention and the Best Position Paper for each committee, received their awards from the chief guest in the ceremony and the curtain of the largest MUN conference of the country fell subsequently with the call for peace and justice all over the world.
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