TBT DESK: Three-day Bangladesh Model United Nations (BANMUN) 2025 began in the city on Friday under the theme ‘Just Energy Transition.’

Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam attended the conference as chief guest. The 11th edition of the model UN is taking place on the American International University–Bangladesh (AIUB) campus.
The conference brought together senior government officials, academics, policymakers and nearly 200 student delegates to reflect on power, equity and responsibility in a world facing overlapping crises.

Addressing the inaugural session, they said in today’s global reality, diplomacy cannot be limited to technical or policy solutions alone, rather the issues of justice, human responsibility, and ethical transparency are inherently intertwined. In the context of climate change, global inequality, and political instability, the experiences of vulnerable countries like Bangladesh carry particular significance in these discussions, observed the speakers.

In his speech, Asad Alam Siam highlighted that Bangladesh Model United Nations offers young people an important platform to understand the complexities of real-world diplomacy. “A just energy transition is not merely about moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy; it also involves human lives, equality, and shared responsibility.”

He noted that a single solution cannot work for all countries and that diplomacy is primarily a process of reaching solutions through dialogue rather than competition.

Special guest Syed Muntasir Mamun, Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the United Nations as an institution built on sacrifice rather than abstraction.

He cautioned that global institutions risk losing relevance if they fail to reflect the realities of a generation that now constitutes the majority of the world’s population. Linking artificial intelligence, energy transition and global governance, he urged young delegates to examine policy through the lenses of justice and national interest.

The ceremony opened with a welcome address by Professor Sayed Md Saikh Imtiaz of Women and Gender Studies Department at the University of Dhaka.
“Model United Nations is more about practicing understanding of differing opinions than debating. Winning or losing does not take you anywhere unless you understand that the people who are losing also have a point,” he said.

Reflecting on the early struggles of United Nations Youth and Students Association of Bangladesh (UNYSAB) to introduce Model United Nations (MUN) culture in Bangladesh, Imtiaz recalled a time when structured diplomatic simulation was largely unfamiliar.

Imtiaz, also Chairman of the Trustee Board of UNYSAB acknowledged the role played by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in mentoring young organizers through real diplomatic experience.
Another special guest Dr Taufique Joarder, Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore and former president of UNYSAB, traced BANMUN’s origins to the early 2000s, recalling an era when limited access to information demanded deeper reading and mentorship.

While acknowledging the growth of MUN culture, he warned against reducing it to spectacle and advocated for its integration into formal education.

Gazi Md. Saifuzzaman, Director General of the Department of Youth Development chaired the opening ceremony while Md. Mashud Razzaq, publisher of TIMES of Bangladesh spoke as guest of honor.
BANMUN 2025 is jointly being organized by UNYSAB and TIMES of Bangladesh.