Riding through Rajshahi University on my father's motorcycle

I am a child of Rajshahi. Both my parents were students of Rajshahi University. So, some of my fondest childhood memories are tied to that campus as well. I remember riding on the back of my father’s motorcycle around the Rajshahi University campus. He would often take me to Shobuj Chattar at Motihar, showing me his department and then my mother’s. As we walked down the iconic Paris Road, he would regale me with stories of his student days. I didn’t realise it then, but those stories were planting a dream in me. I told myself that one day, I too would be a student of this university.

My father studied in the Management Department during the 1996-97 academic session. I grew up on his tales of the Shaheed Minar, the departmental festivals and the intricacies of hall life, until his memories felt like my own. Time has since moved on. Today, I am a student of the 2022-23 session in the Department of Geology and Mining. Sometimes, it feels as if I am walking an unfinished path left behind by my father.

The emotional connection runs deepest when I realise that I live in the same hall where my father once stayed during his student life. As I walk through the corridors of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall, I often imagine him walking these same paths with his friends decades ago. The same campus, the same hall for both of us—it fills me with joy.

Not only the campus, even our roles have changed over time. As a child, I would hold my father’s hand as he took me to the Pahela Baishakh celebrations at the Management Department. He wanted me to see the joy of his world. Now, it is my father who comes to visit my department to watch me.

During the last Pahela Baishakh, I dressed as a groom for our department’s rally and later performed as ‘Montu Ghatak’ in a play. While I was on stage, I caught a glimpse of my father in the audience. I can still see the smile on his face. At that moment, I realised that the man who first introduced me to this campus was now there to witness my own joy.

For our family, Rajshahi University is more than just an educational institution. It is a legacy of dreams, memories and love. I am now building my own identity on the very same grounds where I took my first steps holding my father’s hand. On Father’s Day, I realise this is my greatest achievement.