Biography 236: Tour to the Jahangirnagar University

I heard there is a university near Dhaka. It's in Savar. In the past, Savar was a suburb of Dhaka. Nowadays, it might be considered part of the city. I also heard that this university is located in a Jungle. It's beautiful, like a park.

No, I never felt like joining there. The University of Dhaka is the best educational institution, and it is very near our home.

After joining the University of Dhaka, some of our classmates moved to Jahangirnagar University because they didn't get their chosen subjects in Dhaka.

One day, some of our classmates visited the Shriti Shoudho, a monument to our freedom fighters in Savar. Then Salam (our classmate) said, "Let's go to Jahangirnagar University." He assured us that he knew everything, how to get there, catch a bus to return, etc. We trusted him and accepted him as a guide.

For the first time, I visited Jahangirnagar University. It is a very beautiful university—like an educational institute in a jungle. We visited the big pond, surrounded by big trees. It was afternoon, so everything got close, so we couldn't eat anything.

Salam took us to the bus for the Jahangirnagar University students. The bus was much smaller than the number of students. Now, it had an additional 10/12 students as guests. You can imagine how difficult it was to stand inside. It was very crowded.

We 5/6 girls were standing close inside the bus. The boy sitting in front of me became merciful. He stood up and gave me his spot to me to sit down. I got the seat. But other girls were not that lucky. Because other boys didn't get up. The boy who gave me the seat tried to encourage others. He was saying, these are our guests; if we bring our guests, we will also expect that others will give them the seats., so stand up and let the girls sit. His friends replied, I was protesting whole day to take our exam later, now I am tired, I won't give up my seat. The merciful friend kept requesting, but no one else listened. My friend Neela, with her beautiful big eyes, looked at the stood-up friend and said, " Udhe na to"(they are not standing up). The boy again asked them, but no result.

Finally, we got down from the bus, and our tour to Jahangirnagar University ended.

Here, I just want to give a salute from the bottom of my heart to the student who gave up his seat for me. Thank you so much. It was a big support for me. All males should understand this. You never know what a woman is going through in a day, so always be kind to them.

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.

Biography 170: Plantation

 Shahnaz Madam took many more initiatives to make our department better. One was a plantation. Our friend, Arif, with others, played a significant role in making it happen. We all contributed to it. 

First, we donated 1 or 2 takas (0.013 Canadian Dollars) and bought plants, plant pots etc. We coloured it and dry in the sun and put the plants in those pots. Finally, put them around the balcony.

Students from some other departments came to our department to see our work. They all said our department (Geography & Environment) became the most beautiful department in the University of Dhaka.

Biography 167: Spending time in between classes.

 At the University of Dhaka, I found some of our classes are in the morning, some in the afternoon. The practical classes were in the afternoon. There must be a good reason behind it, which I didn't know. We couldn't go home after the morning class; we had to spend the rest of the day at the University for the next class.

Students living in the hall (dormitory) can quickly go to their room, use the washroom, take lunch, rest and then return to class. What will happen to those students who didn't get any room in the hall? Students who have a home in Dhaka city don't get a room in the hall. Our home isn't that close that I can think to go home and come back.

I was lucky that one of our close friends had a room in the ShamsunNahar hall. The closest hall to our department. So, we used to go to her room, spend the day together then return to class. Murshida Akhter, She was a lifesaver in those days.

Biography 166: Assignments

 In our department, we needed to draw lots of maps. In practical courses, we had to draw many things, had show creativity for assignments. I was very poor at drawing. So, I started feeling troubled. My work didn't look good. 

Some of our classmate's artwork was very good. They used to help others. I never took anyone's help. Why would I? Like I can't do anything? Whatever I can, I will do it myself. My work should represent me, not anyone else. I may have some Ego problems.

Biography 159: Perception of University life in Bangladesh.

 When I was in school (In Bangladesh, grades 1 to 12). One of our entertainment was watching TV dramas. Almost all TV dramas, whenever showing University life, it showed that girls and boys having affairs. They don't attend classes or study; they do romance. If they somehow go to the library, they do romance. Their only activity at the University is to sit together on campus in different places. Then the hero or the heroine becomes 1st class 1st.

Now a day, I think that was the life of those writers; they don't know the other sides of campus life.

Sometimes, my mom took us to New Market to make dresses and shop. Sometimes rickshawala (Rickshaw driver) uses to take us through the University campus. I have seen many times boys and girls sitting together very closely.

Here, I must inform you that in Bangladesh, generally, people don't show intimacy in public. In those days, unmarried boys and girls didn't show any kind of bonding in public.

I heard people used to say city girls are not good. They spend time with boys before marriage. Village girls are very innocent. They are the marriage materials.

After admitting to the university I have seen city girls go home after class. The hall girls, who came from the village, stay out at night. Because they don't have anyone in the room who will ask where you have been. I mean, no parental restriction. No one knows them over there. I am telling what is good or bad; just trying to bring facts I have experienced. You know, exceptions can't be examples.

Let's come back to my childhood. So, I had a very negative idea about University life. That's why I thought I would go there to take the higher study and I won't go to make any kind of intimacy with boys. And I followed that till the end of my university life. My friends were 2 girls, and I had no affair with any boy. However, I spend my best study time at the University, not primary school.

Biography 158: Walking from one building to another

 At the University of Dhaka, all buildings are far apart. Thanks to Allah, rickshaws are available inside the University area. Actually, some main roads go through the university. I guess only heavy vehicles are not allowed to run in between the university area, except university buses.

The admission process happens in June. That is one of the warmest weather in Bangladesh. It isn't a joke at noon when it is about 40c temp if you have to walk from one building to another, which is 5 to 20 minutes away. But again, it's an old University. There are some very big and wide trees available on the university campus. So, shades are there. Again many small mobile stalls are also available with different kinds of foods, mainly fruits, juice, nuts, tea, and ice cream, throughout the campus. So, these elements help to reduce walking pain. Again university students mean very young people. Who are healthy and strong enough to walk. Many students don't have enough money to take rickshaws or buy food. They just keep walking to save money.

Students can take university buses to move from one place to another. But busses have fixed time, and they are in less amount than the student's number. Sometimes, students can't get on a bus because it is overcrowded. For this reason, sometimes accidents happen. I knew some bus helpers died, falling from the running bus because he was hanging from the bus door handle. In Bangladesh, all buses have a driver and a helper. The driver drives the bus, and the helper stands at the door and does other jobs. Like, as selling tickers, collecting money, giving instructions to the bus driver about his blind spot and road condition, screaming to the bus riders about which stoppage it came from, and shouting to the crowd which place the bus is going to invite them to ride on the bus, buy foods and other staff for the driver, etc.

Biography 157: University knowledge from my older sister.

 My older sister was studying at the University of Dhaka in the Accounting department. Her faculty was Commerce. She is 3 years of senior to me. At home, I was the only person to whom she used to talk about her university life. Sometimes she took me to the University too. So, before I admit there I visited the Commerce and Arts faculty. I didn't see the science faculty, and I had no idea about the Annex building in the university.

About one thing I am sure of, if anyone new comes and admits here, then that person has to do all admission procedures, and they will be totally lost. Paper works aren't the problem; the problem is they had to run from one building to another, then come back again and run to another. Take papers from one building and then fill them up, pay somewhere, attach and submit another building. There is no clear map of which one is where. Generally, people bring their big brother or sister to make things properly.

My sister took me to submit the form, test, and viva voice. She completed her duty by showing me where are registered building, bank, and bus stoppages are. And also Halls. At the University of Dhaka, all students are linked to a Hall (Student dormitory). I got admitted to the Shamsunnahar Hall.

I got to know this is the closest to the Annex building. I was pleased about that.

I met some of my sister's friends before I joined. So, I kind of became their friend too.  I went to their house to bring books (Novels). Still, some of them are my Facebook friend. Some live in the USA.

I like the commerce faculty too. At the front of their building, they cut the bush like a sofa set and coffee table. Looks amazing. University knowledge from my older sister.

Check it out first

 I was newly admitted to the University. I didn't know anyone, didn't have any idea how people study here, how they prepare for the exam, how the exam will be taken etc. Someone told me, I should check the previous year's questions, to get an impression of how the exam will be.

As I told you I didn't know anyone to ask for it. I remember on my first I sat beside a boy. He told me, he is staying in the hall. I thought he might have or can collect some questions papers from the senior students of our department from the hall.

I asked him about it and he said, he had already collected it. I requested him, can he share those question papers with me. I will make a copy of those papers and then will return them to him. He nodded his head, which means yes.

After 3/4 days he gave a roll of papers in a plastic bag. I said, "Thank you, I will return it tomorrow." I didn't open it, just kept it in my bag as it was. I took it home. In the afternoon I gave it to my dad to xerox those papers. The photocopy machine shop was very near to our house.

After a couple of hours, my dad knocked at my door. He brought some papers and that roll of papers. When he was giving it to me, I saw he was trying to stop laughing in front of me. I didn't ask him what happen but started thinking about what went wrong.

I opened my copy at the very first page was full of small (2/3 lines) poems. Romantic poems. I couldn't read much, it was written all over the question paper, everywhere it found any gap.

My head started spinning, this must be found by the photocopier. Then he must have shown it to my dad. Allah knows, to who else he had shown or making stories. What was my dad thinking about me! Within few weeks of my class, what I am doing? I couldn't think more. I became very mad, "হালার হালা, কি রকম বেইজ্জতি অবস্থার মধ্যে  ফেলসে আমারে!"

Life lesson, "If you get anything from anyone, check it out first! before passing it to someone else.