The inauguration ceremony for the Eighth Bangladesh Qualifying Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, 2024 took place on Thursday, February 1, 2024, at the Auditorium of the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB).

Mr. Salman F Rahman, the honorable advisor to the Prime Minister of the country, graced the occasion as the chief guest, joined by Mr. Peter D Haas, the US Ambassador in Bangladesh, as the special guest. Ms. Nadia Anwar, Founder Member and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Mr. Christopher Howard, Resident Legal Advisor, US Embassy, Dhaka, were also in present at the ceremony.

In his speech, the honorable advisor expressed his expectations that competitions of this nature would kindle the interest and insight of young law students in tackling complex legal problems. He highlighted the competition as a breeding ground for nurturing and developing minds to handle real-life challenges within the evolving international legal order. Ambassador Peter Haas emphasized gender equality in all spheres of social life, recalling the success of female participants in previous Jessup Moot Court Competitions. Ms. Nadia Anwar extended her sincere gratitude to the dignitaries, the International Law Student Association (ILSA) Bangladesh Chapters, and Jessup Bangladesh for allowing AIUB to partner in this event. She commended the participants for their passion in pursuing legal knowledge and advocacy.

The event also featured speeches by the National Administrator of Jessup Bangladesh, Mr. Washik Muhammad Istiaq Ezaz, and the Founding National Administrator of Jessup Bangladesh and ILSA Coordinator, Mr. Nuran Choudhury.

Dr. Hasanul A Hasan, Founder Member, Board of Trustees, AIUB, Dr. Carmen Z Lamagna, Member, Board of Trustees, AIUB were also present on the occasion along with the Registrar, Proctor, faculty members, officials, students, participants of AIUB and other institutions,

The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, organized by the International Law Students Association, is recognized globally as the "World Cup of Moot," involving over 850 law schools from almost 100 countries. The Bangladesh Qualifying Round, organized by Jessup Bangladesh in association with the US Department of Justice, Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (DOJ/OPDAT), and International Law Students Association (ILSA), is hosted and sponsored by the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) this year. Hearth Bangladesh is another partner of this year's event. With over 150 participants from 40 universities, the Bangladesh Qualifying Round stands as the third largest in the world and the second largest in South Asia, underscoring the increasing commitment to the legal field in the country. The competition spanned three days, concluding on Saturday, 3 February 2024, across various venues within the AIUB campus.