Closing ceremony of the 2nd Bangladesh Qualifying Round of the Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition 2025-26 at Independent University, Bangladesh

The closing ceremony of the 2nd Bangladesh Qualifying Round of the Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition 2025-26 was held on 7 February 2026 at IUB. The Chief Guest of the event was Mr Justice Mirza Hussain Haider, Honourable Judge (Retired) of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, and the Special Guest was Mr Justice Zafar Ahmed, Honourable Judge of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. Additionally, Barrister Fida M. Kamal, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and the Former Attorney General for Bangladesh, was in attendance as the Guest of Honour. The opening remarks were given by Porob Naser Siddique, Executive Director of Hearth Bangladesh. Moreover, Professor Dr Borhan Uddin Khan, Advisor of the School of Law at IUB, delivered his speech on behalf of IUB as hosts of the event. Faculty members, administrative officials, students, and participants from various universities across the country were also in attendance.

The ceremony commenced with the Executive Director of Hearth Bangladesh, Mr Porob Naser Siddique, extending a warm welcome and gratefulness to all the esteemed guests, judges, participants, and associated individuals for their tireless efforts. He framed the competition as a crucial stepping stone for all teams to take their next leap in legal advocacy and expressed special thanks to Professor Borhan Uddin Khan and Professor Dr Nazmuzzaman Bhuian for their unwavering support as coordinators of the competition in making this landmark event a reality. Next, the special guest, Mr Justice Zafar Ahmed, began by thanking the organisers for the invitation. He paid his highest respects to the esteemed judges of the final rounds. Sharing insights from his own career, he encouraged participants to view mooting as essential practice, providing the closest real experience to courtroom scenarios. He emphasised that success hinges on drafting strong, precise legal arguments and conducting thorough, meticulous research of both facts and laws.

Next, the Guest of Honour, Barrister Fida M. Kamal, in his address, highlighted the immense practical learning inherent in the moot court experience, where participants gather essential skills in research and oral advocacy. He strongly encouraged aspiring advocates to pursue the Bar, describing it as a challenging yet immensely rewarding chapter in the journey to becoming a lawyer. He concluded by wishing the best for all participants. Then, the Chief Guest of the event, Mr Justice Mirza Hussain Haider, in his deeply reflective address, stressed the paramount importance of knowing where the laws are and developing the disciplined habits of a lawyer in every sphere of life. Furthermore, he warmly appreciated the high-quality submissions of the finalist teams and issued a forward-looking encouragement to the organisers to transcend the event beyond Dhaka.

Finally, the results of the competition were announced. The University of Dhaka bagged the championship for a second time, emerging as the Champions of the competition, and the Canadian University of Bangladesh was awarded as the Runners-up for their truly resilient and formidable fight in the final rounds. The Spirit of the Moot was awarded to Southern University, and the Best New Team to North South University. The award for the Best Memorial was given to Feni University. Mr Rezoan Asraf and Miss Tasnuva Aniqa were awarded as the Best Mooter of the final rounds and the Best Mooter of the competition, respectively. The Chief Guest, Mr Justice Mirza Hossain Haider, offered poignant congratulations, urging all to "preserve the fossil of the best legal minds" developed here, a metaphor for cherishing and applying the skills honed during the competition throughout their careers.

For concluding remarks, Professor Borhan Uddin Khan delivered a heartfelt vote of thanks, regarding each participant not merely as students, but as lawyers presenting before the International Court of Justice. He reflected that "mooting is learning" and encouraged everyone to make the best use of this experience on their path to becoming practitioners, sharing reflections from his own journey. Lastly, he thanked all for coming to IUB, which he hoped had served as a fitting venue to represent the ICJ and hone the skills of this excellent generation of future mooters and legal advocates.

This year, 30 universities from across Bangladesh participated in the qualifying round, highlighting the importance of tackling environmental issues among youth. The competition is organised by Hearth Bangladesh in collaboration with Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB).

The event was covered by Samia Rahman.