In recent years, Bangladesh has seen many young debaters impress the audience with their wit and talent. Sourodip Paul and Sajid Khandaker of Team IBA DU A secured the 11th ranking among 434 teams from more than 350 universities in this year's World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC), which is considered the World Cup of Debate in Thailand. Bangladesh's performance this year was the best one so far.
'Khandaker and Paul', their official team name, became an undeniable duo in debating tournaments. Together, they have won 11 major championships so far. Their WUDC journey started back in 2018 with WUDC, Mexico. They participated in WUDC South Africa in the following year. They secured the 17th position in Mexico and the 23rd position in South Africa last year. They were announced as the best team in Asia, both in Mexico and Thailand this year.
Sajid has been a debater since he was a ninth grader. From participating in the World Schools Debating Championships to WUDC, his passion for debate grew over the years. "I had some of the best debaters as my professional trainers back in my school days, which made my transition to international competitions easier," shares Sajid.
