Against the Odds: From Local Classrooms to UADC | Gazi Mahtab Hossain | TEDxMUBC Youth
n a small Bangla-medium classroom, surrounded by textbooks and quiet lessons, a young student whispered his first arguments to an empty room. The walls were familiar but limiting. Outside, the world was moving faster, speaking a language that felt foreign, confident, unstoppable. For Gazi Mahtab, English was not just a language — it was a barrier, a challenge he could barely imagine overcoming. Yet deep inside, a quiet voice insisted: “You have something to say. Don’t let the world hear you in silence.”The journey that followed was anything but easy. Each debate became a battlefield. Mispronunciations were judged more harshly than ideas. Lost rounds felt like failure, victories fleeting and uncertain. Doubts, criticism, and high expectations pressed down like the weight of the world. But Mahtab kept speaking — not for applause, not for recognition — because silence was no longer an option.Late nights blurred into early mornings. Research notes piled high. Rehearsals repeated until words no longer stumbled. Each mistake became a lesson; each critique, a blueprint for growth. Debate became his crucible — forging resilience, sharpening intellect, and teaching him that true learning comes through challenge. Slowly, whispers in that small classroom became echoes capable of filling halls, arenas, and eventually, continents.Then came UADC 2025 — the United Asian Debating Championship. Here, Mahtab, the Bangla-medium student once unsure of his English, stood among Asia’s finest speakers. Every argument was precise, every point layered with strategy, logic, and heart. When the results came, he was celebrated as one of Asia’s best speakers — proof that beginnings do not dictate limits.This TEDx talk is more than a story of trophies or titles. It is a chronicle of transformation — of a young man who turned the barriers of his beginnings into bridges. It is about persistence, grit, and the courage to find your voice when the world expects you to remain silent. Gazi Mahtab’s journey reminds every student, dreamer, and silent voice that your story, your words, and your vision can echo across continents — even against the odds. He didn’t just win a debate.
He redefined what it means to be heard.
Presenting our 5th guest for TEDxYouth@Monipur High School and College —
Gazi Mahtab Hossain,
UADC EFL Champion & Best Speaker
Student, Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)
From the heart of BUP to the global stage of UADC 2025, Mahtab’s words shattered boundaries. A voice that broke through the silence, a speaker who turned rebellion into an art.
At TEDxMUBC, he’ll reveal not just his story —
but a revolution within.
This is more than a talk.
It’s a heist of ideas.
A rebellion of minds.
? August 16, 2025
Monipur High School & College Auditorium
BREAK THE CHAINS OF MIND This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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