Promoting harmony
With a view to promote harmony and tolerance, Debate for Humanity (DFH) announced their six-month-long university-level debate festival yesterday.
Around 2,000 students from 12 higher educational institutions including madrasas in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur districts will participate in the event.
The festival is part of Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF)'s “SAMPREETI” project, which aims to increase resilience against violent extremist agendas among students.
Tareq Aziz, president of DFH, shared the details of the event at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity.
On January 31, the festival was launched through an intra-university debate competition at Prime Asia University. The next one will be held at Dhaka's Badrunnesa College on February 24, according to organisers.
Speaking at the conference, former governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr Saleh Uddin Ahmed, also an adviser to DFH, emphasised the significance of debate as a potent tool to make one's voice heard and be a critical thinker.
Shaheen Anam, executive director of MJF, stressed the need for empowering the youth and guiding them on the right path.
She said the focus of debating is harmony and increasing ability to accept different opinions as well as promoting tolerance and non-violence.
MJF has provided funds to 33 university-based organisations under the project since October 2018, she informed.
Advocate Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman, chairperson of DFH, and Shahajadi Begum, deputy program manager of SAMPREETI project, spoke at the event, among others.
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