By FutureLaw Desk

The annual moot season of 2017 (that typically lasts from February to April) demarcated a new era of mooting and practical legal education for the law students in Bangladesh, when a total of nine teams comprising of around thirty students from 3 prominent law schools of the country, namely University of Dhaka, University of Chittagong and Eastern University of Bangladesh participated in eight international moot competitions in four different countries of the world. As a cherry on top, for the first time ever two of the renowned ex-mooters from Bangladesh was invited as adjudicators in two of the most prestigious moot competitions of the world, namely Oxford-Price and Jessup.

A brief round-up of the celebratory mooting season will help to refresh memory and boost the preservation.

1. 1st ICC/KLRCA Pre-Moot for the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Competition 2017; held at Kuala Lampur, Malaysia;

A team comprised of Md. Azhar Uddin Bhuiyan, Mahera Binte Rafiq, Meherba Sabrin and Mir Mashur Ahmed from University of Dhaka participated in this Pre-Moot for the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Competition 2017, which was held at Kuala Lampur , Malaysia.

2. 7th Justice P.N Bhagwati Human Rights Moot Court Competition, 2017; held at Pune, India

A team comprised of Mishu Barua, Imraan Hossain and Abdul Karim Rashed from University of Chittagong participated in the 7th Justice P.N Bhagwati Human Rights Moot Court Competition, 2017, which was held at Pune, India.

3. 7th Dr. Paras Diwan Memorial International Energy Law Moot Court Competition, 2017; held at Dehradun, India

A team comprised of Maksuda Sarker Monny, Jahid Al Mamun and Abdur Rahman from University of Dhaka participated in the 7th Dr. Paras Diwan Memorial International Energy Law Moot Court Competition, 2017 which was held at Dehradun, India.

4. Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition, 2017; held at Oxford, United Kingdom

A team comprised of Sayeed Sarwar, Salvia Jannat and Maisha Tahsin from University of Dhaka participated in the Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition, 2017 which was held at Oxford, United Kingdom.

5. Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, 2017; held at Washigton D.C., USA

For the first time ever, two teams from Bangladesh participated in the most prestigious moot competition of the world, Jessup.

University of Dhaka

Eastern University

Two teams from Bangladesh, Eastern University of Bangladesh and University of Dhaka being the national champion and runners-up respectively, earned to ticket to the global fiesta to join 141 other universities in Jessup 2017. The team comprised of Wardi Zaman, Muhammad Naimur Rahman and Jubaida Sakin from Eastern University and the team comprised of Romana Afroze, Ragib Mahtab and Moniruz Zaman are competing in the competition at this moment.

6. 1st Ansal University International Moot Court Competition, 2017; held at Gurugaon, India

A team comprised of Sayed Shafayat, Ahasan Habib and Byejid Raihan participated in the 1st Ansal University International Moot Court Competition, 2017 which was held at Gurugaon, India.

7. 2nd Symbiosis Trial Advocacy Competition 2017; held at Pune, India

A team comprised of Aqib Tahmid, Rokibul Hasan Shanto and Mohammad Mamun from University of Chittagong participated in the 2nd Symbiosis Trial Advocacy Competition, 2017

8. 10th NLS – Trilegal International Arbitration Moot Court Competition, 2017; Bangalore, India

A team comprised of Sayed Shafayat, Psymhe Wadud, Riasat Azmi and Abdullah Al Jahid from University of Dhaka are set to participate in the 10th NLS – Trilegal International Arbitration Moot Court Competition which is going to be held at the National Law School, Bangalore in coming May.

From Mooting to Adjudication: Breaking the glass ceiling

For the first time, two of the renowned ex-mooters from Bangladesh was selected as adjudicators in the prestigious moot competitions, namely Oxford-Price and Jessup.

Bangladeshi Adjudicator at Oxford-Price 2017

Barrister Md. Monzur Rabbi, an Advocate at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and a fulbright scholar at University of Miami was invited to adjudicate at the Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition, held at Oxford University.

Bangladeshi Adjudicator at Jessup 2017

Nuran Chowdhuty, fromer Vice President of Dhaka University Moot Court Society and the national coordinator of International Law Students’ Association in Bangladesh was invited to adjudicate at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, 2017

Conclusion

All these inspiring feats of talented Bangladeshi law students gave a twirling joy ride to the running, prospective and of course, past law students. Despite limitations and other handicaps (mostly funding), the vibrant mooters and administrators of Bangladesh are steadily approaching towards perfection, and the dream of winning a major prestigious international championship is coming closer.