IUB hosts 7th Bangladesh qualifying round of Philip Jessup Moot Court Competition

The inaugural ceremony of the 7th Bangladesh Qualifying Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition 2023 was held on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB).

Mr. Anisul Huq, MP, Hon’ble Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, spoke as the chief guest and His Excellency Mr. Peter D Haas, the US Ambassador to Bangladesh, was present as the Guest of Honor.

In his speech, Mr. Anisul Huq expressed hopes that a competition of this nature will allow the young law students to develop a keen interest in and acquire useful insights into complex legal problems. “This competition can work as a breeding ground for nurturing and developing tender minds to tackle the real-life challenges within evolving international legal order,” the law minister added.

Ambassador Peter Haas recalled the success of female participants in previous competitions and emphasized on ensuring gender equality in every sphere of social life.

IUB Vice Chancellor Tanweer Hasan, PhD, who chaired the event, said, “IUB puts a strong emphasis on co-curricular activities to provide a wide spectrum of opportunities to enhance the talent and skill of our students. One of the main aims of IUB’s Law Department is to enable our graduates to think critically and creatively, as globally-oriented lawyers with a strong sense of their role in the society. Jessup can be a great platform to disseminate the spirit and philosophy of international law to emerging economies like Bangladesh.”

Chairman of the IUB Board of Trustees Mr. Abdul Hai Sarkar, Advisor to IUB Law Department Prof. Dr. Borhan Uddin Khan, Resident Legal Advisor of the US Embassy Mr. Christopher Howard, National administrator of Jessup Bangladesh Washik Muhammad Istiaq Ezaz and founding national administrator of Jessup Bangladesh and ILSA coordinator Nuran Choudhury also spoke at the event. The event was chaired by IUB Vice Chancellor Tanweer Hasan, PhD.

The Bangladesh Qualifying Round was organized by Jessup Bangladesh in association with the International Law Students Association (ILSA), Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT) under the US Department of Justice.

A total of 32 teams and eight observer teams comprising more than 150 law students from different universities in Bangladesh are contesting in the competition. Jessup Moot Court Competition is one of the most renowned and oldest competitions of law students and this year, Bangladesh is hosting the 3rd largest national round in the world.