Brac University’s moot court success

With razor-sharp legal reasoning and occasional “Objection, You Honour!”, Brac University’s powerhouse team — Sreoshi Karmakar, Bushra Abdul Kaliq, Samiha Akter Hena, Tamal Tausif, Farhana Khan Oishee, SK. Ahmed Shahriar, Fawzia Karim Oishy and Jannatul Ferdush Piasha (Seniors, SoL) — won the Best Defense award for their excellent courtroom charisma on March 1st. North South University Law and Mooting Society (NSULMS) recently held the first ever criminal mock trial in Bangladesh. The national level competition featured more than 22 teams wherein the primary rounds took place on February 28th. Among the 44 participants from the defense team, Bushra Abdul Kaliq was recognized as the Best Advocate. 

Preparation for the competition included participating in workshops, painstaking case studies and research and watching several mock trials online. Although for Bushra, the most challenging part was something else: “I think the toughest part was that I lost my voice the very week of the competition!” Bushra mentioned how none of this would have been possible without her team burying themselves in legal documents and spending sleepless nights drafting arguments. Each member brought unique and crucial skill sets to the courtroom to be the voice of their client, simultaneously learning something new.

When asked about her biggest takeaway from the competition, the best advocate had a lot to say; mastering courtroom decorum and team’s strategy and tactics were some of the team’s biggest learnings. But most importantly, according to Bushra, her biggest accomplishment was her team — “I could not have done it without their hard work and dedication!” The university team hence leaves behind a lot of lessons for future aspirants.

After all, a team with the best defense is not just the most knowledgeable; it is the one that stays composed, trusts each other and is always willing to learn.