Robi-Drishty Debate Championship 2026 Begins with 56 Educational Institutions

Chattogram, October 02, 2026: One of the country's largest debate competitions, "Robi-Drishty Debate Championship 2026" has commenced in Chattogram. The competition was officially inaugurated on Friday (October 2) through an opening ceremony held at the Theatre Institute Auditorium.

Organized with the sponsorship of Robi Axiata PLC, the competition features 56 educational institutions, including 32 schools from the Chattogram metropolitan area and 24 universities and debating clubs from across the country. The grand debate carnival will conclude with the final round and closing ceremony on October 9. This edition marks the 31st Inter-School and 20th Inter-University Debate Competition organized by Drishty Chattogram. 

Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation, Dr. Shahadat Hossain, inaugurated the event as the chief guest. Special guests included Barrister Shahed Alam, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer of Robi Axiata PLC; corporate personality and popular 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. 

Presided over by Masud Bakul, Founder of Drishty Chattogram, the event was also 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 Dr. Shahadat Hossain emphasized logic-based thinking and knowledge acquisition among students, stating, "Debate is not merely a competition, but one of the most effective platforms for developing logic, tolerance, and leadership qualities."

Highlighting Robi's continuous association as the sponsor for 16 consecutive years, Barrister Shahed Alam, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer of Robi Axiata PLC, remarked, "Robi believes that if the innate imagination of people is nurtured properly, it can bring great value to the nation."

Meanwhile, Asif Iqbal urged youth to engage in structured logic, cultural activities, and respect for opposing views and described the habit of analyzing issues through logic as an essential tool for personal growth and life. 

Masud Bakul, Founder of Drishty Chattogram, highlighted the organization’s continuous legacy of hosting inter-school debates for 31 years and inter-university debates for 20 years, expressing gratitude to Robi Axiata PLC for its 16-year-long strategic partnership. 

The ceremony was also attended by Shahidul Islam, Senior Organizer of Drishty Chattogram; Jewel Ahmed, Convener and 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-coordinator; Mujibul Huq, Head of Media & Communication Committee; Mehraj Bin Alam, Joint Head; and Arafat Kabir, Joint Head of the Hospitality Committee. 

Mujibul Huq, Head of the Media and Communication Committee, stated that this gathering of top debaters will further enrich the long-standing tradition of debate culture in Chattogram.