In celebration of Cyber Security Month, the Dhaka University Debating Society (DUDS) emerged as the champion of the first-ever inter-university cyber debate competition in Bangladesh. Organized by the Cyber Crime Awareness Foundation and Stamford Debate Forum, the day-long parliamentary debate focused on the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in ensuring information security. The final round saw DUDS face off against the opposition, Jahangirnagar University Debating Society (JUDS). At the final stage, DUDS Oparajeo Bangla team members defeated the Jahangirnagar University Debating Society (JUDO) by a vote of 7-0.
On the other hand, government-side debaters demonstrated that traditional virus detection methods, based on grammatical rules, fail to counter new viruses. They explained that human-set rules for known viruses are insufficient against out-of-the-box threats, necessitating adaptation. AI, they argued, offers security beyond preset rules by identifying patterns in data. Firewalls enhanced with AI can provide greater protection by analyzing vast amounts of data and setting up defenses against emerging threats. AI-powered firewalls use GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models to analyze data patterns, ensuring real-time protection. The team also highlighted the potential of AI for face detection and other security measures, emphasizing the need for AI to strengthen conventional firewalls.
Adnan Mustari, Sohanur Rahman Sohan, Sabbir Hossain debated for Oporajeo Bengal. Sabbir Hossain was selected as the final of the debate
The debate competition, held on Friday at Stamford University’s campus in Dhaka, featured 16 debate teams from universities across the country. The panel of judges included Shah Saifullah Al Zakarin, Robiul Islam Roni, Pran Sarwar, Mahfuz Miraj, Dina Afsana, Mohammad Khasru Ahsan, Nayeem Farhad Islam, H.M. Sabir Noor, Ehsanur Rahman Abir, Raisul Haque Chowdhury, Mohammad Raihanul Iqbal Evan, Mesbahul Munir Snigdha, Arghya Arpon Das, Mohammad Saif Uddin, Nayeem Muntaazir, Mirajul Islam, Toukir Hasan Khan, Rakib Zoha, Samirul Haque, Anjuman Afrin, and Khandaker Mohiuddin.
The competition served as a platform to raise awareness about cyber security and the role of AI in enhancing digital protection.