Dr. Fuad Hasan Mallick

There is one funny thing about my first semester that I feel I should mention here. Actually, this incident happened sometime after the final exams of the first semester. A good number of people in BRAC U happen to be related to me, the most prominent of which would be Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed, Professor of Physics. He is my first cousin, believe it or not. By extension, his brother-in-law Dr. Fuad Hasan Mallick is also my relative, and I would always address him as Fuad Bhai back when I was a kid. But then a lot had gone on in our lives, I had not met Fuad Bhai in almost two years, and to be honest I did not really miss him that much either. So when I would run into Johnny Bhai, I would smile and exchange pleasantries. When I met JRC, I would be deferential and greet him as a student should greet the master, especially one of Jamilur Reza Chowdhury’s caliber. But when I ran into Fuad Bhai, I would assume he does not know me and vice versa.

The whole semester went by this way, and I never even paused to consider that maybe my dearest brother’s dear brother-in-law did indeed know me. Then the exams came and went, and it was a time for celebration. On that note, I was attending a dinner at Johnny Bhai’s place when my mom brought forth Fuad Bhai. Apparently he wanted to see me, thus making me even more sure he does not know me by face. But then, he came up and took me in his arms, jokingly remarking “ ei chele mone kore ami oke chini na!” I was taken aback! Not only did he know me, he knew why I never spoke to him! Maybe that was the day I became an ardent fan of Fuad Bhai, realizing what a loving brother lies behind that exterior that pretends to not even notice what’s going on in the whole wide world around him. It was a great feeling, knowing that even when a man is just passing you by not talking to you, he actually loves you just as much as those who stop by and say a few words.

First Day

As the VC stood up there, addressing the students and reminding of them when they had first joined BRAC University, I was taken back to that very first day. It was a Sunday, the 15th of September, 2002. Of course, going to university was a big and novel experience for all of us, and it should perhaps be attributed to my thick brain that it never occured to me as being a major turning point in my small life.

What I do remember of the day is an odd sense of disorientation as I walked up to the 2nd floor of the University Building, where the Information Desk used to be back then. In laer years, the building would become UB to us, and we would forever refer to that particular floor as “UB Information Desk”, even when the desk was shifted and the much more prominent ECE lab set up in that same floor.

As I walked in, I was rather taken aback at the sight of some fifty students pushing and elbowing their way to the wall in the far corner, where the coveted class routine hung, waiting for people to come up to it and get their class schedule down pat. Now that I look back with the benefit of hindsight, I am guessing there must have been at least one other routine somewhere and we all did not need to fight over this one like it was The Lost Ark. Ah well, at least I will know better the next time, if there is one.

It took me almost two hours, and a whole lot of pushing and shoving, to get my routine. But it was still not time to rest, for one look at it told me that I have a class in less than half an hour. So we rushed for the class. At this point, Ishtiyaq and Saikat were probably the only people I knew well enough to talk casually with, and naturally we spent most of our time together. I gradually made more friends, of course, but more on that later.

The day sort of went by running from one class to another, not so much tired as oiverwhelmed. To make things even better (or worse), my newly acquired cellphone decided to die on me. Sometime around the afternoon, I was done with classes, terribly tired and horribly sweaty. I am sure I must have fallen asleep on my way back home, but I cannot be sure. All of the rest of the day is rather hazy. Sad but true, some four years later I cannot even recall whether my first day at BRAC U ended on a happy or sad note…

dinguli mor…

Last Thursday, 8th February, was my convocation. It was also the day when I realized that I am hopelessly in love with BRAC University, despite all arguments I might try and present to the contrary. Sure, there were times when I regretted being a part of BRAC U, but hey, there have also been times I have regretted being born, so I guess that is OK. Anyway, that realization, albeit late, triggered a desire to write about my time in BRAC, all the little moments that flashed through my mind as I stood there, waiting for the President to formally confer the degree upon us. I do not plan on writing an autobiography. Far from it, really. What I want to do is recall some of those small moments that may mean nothing to the rest of the world, but to me are the greatest moments of my University life. I am guessing none of the incidents I mention here can be deemed historically important, but they are a definitive part of me. They capture the essence of my stay at BRAC U, the good, the bad and the downright crazy. None of the matter here will ever make it to a big national daily, but all I want is for them to make way into the hearts of my friends who will read this.