Biography 182: Professor Jamal Khan

 Professor Jamal was from the Geography & Environment Department, University of Dhaka. We met him at our final year MSc class. He accompanied us to Bagerhat for our last year's field trip.

Here I need to say something about myself. I am a sincere, honest person in every work and emotion. In both study and work, I did all my work sincerely always. But no one noticed or didn't care. Some people took advantage of that.

Jamal sir was the first person who noticed how efficiently we did our work on the field trip. He also mentioned it to other groups, and we got good marks on our work. Emran was in our group. He praised his work too. Emran is always a very good, helpful person. Even now, if anyone in our class faces trouble, Emran is the first to stand by them.

Jamal sir was young and unmarried. One day he was dining at a table with a group of girls. He was giving advice about our study. He said we should work hard and don't waste any time. Then after work, it will be sweeter when we take a break. Otherwise, we may feel bored. I totally agree with him.

One of our friends, Jolly, started asking funny questions. You know the questions we ask a young bachelor person. Our professor started blushing.

The last time when I contacted him, he was in the UK. I was thinking of migrating, so I asked questions about it. He referred Canada to migrate and said UK's labour market was in poor condition. He also said he wasn't feeling good. I didn't ask him what happened, as it was too personal. Now I think I should have asked him. He would have avoided my question and didn't answer if it was too personal.

Now he is no more. He left at such a young age. May Allah keep him in peace.

Biography 181: Professor of Regional Geography

 Our regional geography professor was an aged and wise man. He never spent unnecessary money on his dresses. He came from a wealthy family but always lived a general life. He sent his daughter abroad to get a degree. One day she called and asked help from her dad for an assignment. Our professor gave some suggestions, and she got very good marks. Her teacher asked where she got that information, and she informed the teacher about her dad.

Our department, Geography & Environment, had to increase his working days even after his retirement age because it was difficult to find someone wise like him to take his position.

One day he told us that he was getting an allergy reaction from the chalk. On those days, we had blackboard and chalk to write in the class. We suggested not to use it, but he smiled, said it was okay, and kept writing as needed in the lecture.

He had vast knowledge of many different issues. And he wasn't a religious person. Sometimes he mentioned some example or information which may go against any religion. Obviously, not all students like that. If anyone tries to argue, he can't keep his temper long. So, considering his age, we always suggested to other students not to fight with him. We didn't like to see him suffering.

I am a religious person. I like intelligent and wise men. I respect them. I respect my professor very much. But one day he said something which hurt me too much. So, I decided to skip his classes.

Before his class started, I went out and stayed on the balcony, and when he left the class, I returned to the class to attend the next class.

I thought he won't notice or bother my absence. I was wrong.

Our professor was very friendly and always respected everyone, including all students. In Bangladesh, whenever we meet with any professor, we say, "Assalamu Alaikum (May peace rain upon you.)" And the professor either replies or nods just to let you know he heard and thank you. As usual, I said Salam to our professor when I met with him in the department. For the first time, he didn't reply and clearly ignored me. It happened more than once. I understood very clearly. To ignore a problem, I created a new one.

I understood I have to come to bend myself as I am a student. So, I again joined the class, I had made up my mind, and no matter it troubles me, I will just sit and complete all classes. The professor noticed me in the class and gave me a big smile of love. After that class, he didn't say anything in class that could hurt me, and outside the class, sometimes he gave me a salam.

The person who always fought for his word, restricted with his tongue only for a student, which he didn't want to lose. Our professor isn't on this earth anymore. But from the bottom of my heart, I give you Salam. I respect you, as always, no matter how different our thinking process is.

Biography 180: New Professor

 When we were in our first year at the University of Dhaka, we had practical classes scheduled at the end of the day. But at the beginning of our course, our practical class didn't start. We heard the professor who was appointed didn't return from abroad. He was studying somewhere out of the country. After missing a few classes, one day, one told us he arrived in the department. We were happy, OK, now our class will resume.

One of the girls told us, let's meet with him. Let's see what he looks like. Allah knows why I was with them. It really doesn't matter to me, what a person looks like. We walked towards the library room by the corridor, and then we had to take a turn, where a bunch of professors were standing in the corridor and chatting with our new professor.

I felt professors won't like how students went there to see someone. So, I just bent and looked (like a pick-a-boo) at the professors; my body was behind the pillar. I am sure I didn't make any noise. But at the same time, the new professor turned and looked at us. I felt we got caught in something, so I immediately hid behind the pillar.

Then our class started. In the beginning, I found this professor very grumpy. Always in a bad mood, scolding students. I felt maybe it was better that he was staying abroad.

But he surprises us; within a month, he has changed totally. He used to smile always and make fun with the students. I started thinking, a person who can smile so nicely, why was he hiding his nature in that way?

I remember he went to visit Cox's Bazar with our senior class. After returning from the tour, he shared some very funny moments. We all laughed loud with him. I wanted to hear more about the tour stories, but some of our classmates from the back bench started making too much noise that he had to stop and change the topic.

I want to share about another day. We were taking measurements of our front open area and portico. We were divided into a couple of groups. I wanted to make sure that we were doing everything right, so before starting work (drawing), I wanted to discuss with our professor about our work plan and whether they are ok or not. But he went to another group. One of our group members, Sharmin, requested him to check work, but then he went to another group. Sharmin became tired; she said each time I asked him to see our group work, he went to another group. So, we decided let's try everything by ourselves. Then he came; I was so angry that I didn't feel like talking to him. But he helped us, gave suggestions and the rest of the day, he worked with our group. We were the last group that he checked in.

At the end of our first year, he went abroad again to study. This time we talked with him. He said he had got a scholarship and would return after 4 years. We calculated, then we will be studying in the MSc class.

Our professor kept his word, and he returned. Then get married. Now he is living in Thailand with his family and working as a professor at a University.

He introduced his wife to us. She is charming, and she worked in a Bank in those days. I liked her smile mostly. She was very lovely and hamble with us.

When I decided to migrate, I also contacted our professor Mokbul Morshed Ahmed. Our professor gave us some links to where their university allows studying on their campus. But those link wasn't working from my end.

Later I moved to Canada. Our professors from the University of Dhaka are always very helpful and friendly with us. We are lucky to have professors like that.

Biography 179: Professor Ziaus Shams

Today, I would like to share my experiences with Professor Ziaus Shams from the Geography & Environment department at the University of Dhaka. I first met him during my interview when I expressed my interest in joining the Geography Department. He seemed proud and encouraged me, although I had no idea who he was at the time since I was surrounded by department heads. 

During another admission session at the department building, we had to go inside a room one by one to complete some admission work. Some students became impatient and pushed each other, causing the door handle to break. Professor Ziaus Shams came out and shouted to stop the behaviour, which scared us. 

In class, Professor Shams voiced his dissatisfaction with the old and broken facilities at the university and made efforts to upgrade them. He even changed the main gate and established an air-conditioned lab for GIS and Climate Geography. 

During one class, three of us (girls) wore red sarees and always tried to sit in the front row so the professor would notice our dresses. To our surprise, the next day he wore a red t-shirt. 

In conclusion, every person has something good in them, and we should focus on their positive qualities rather than their shortcomings, especially when they are no longer with us.