Dhaka means different things to different people. Some people loathe it for nuisances while others love it for some unexplained reason. For me, Dhaka holds a special place in my heart for such very specific reason. This is the city that plays host to my campus.
Call me nostalgia merchant, DU brat, or whatever else comes to mind, but Dhaka University holds a very special place in my heart and my life. One of my favourite recollections are the memories of my adventures in the city. It started in the first year.
As you can imagine, first year students are reckless, adventurous, and inquisitive. For many of us, this was our first time in Dhaka. For others, this was the first taste of independence in a city that was wonderous and so much more. So, we set to explore.
Our explorations usually started late; after 10:00pm.
In the beginning it was the campus. There were numerous halls; each with its own characteristic and interests. Winter nights brought a different sense of adventure. The fog on the road and dew drops on the grass and roads brought a feeling of romanticism that probably sounds silly to others but DU campus is still one of the few places in the city where you can actually walk in fog and not smog.
Then we grew bolder. Our walks became longer and we explored the other campuses around us. Then came the adventures. We started looking for what can we explore. And being a student, how can we go there cheaper?
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One day I ended up at Trimohini Bridge, a place near Khilgaon. Back then, it was rather remote. The commute had felt like a test of endurance and the overall look of the place was a bit spooky at that time. I arrived there after sundown with a friend and we ended up having to stay with another friend (who lived nearby fortunately) because by then, it was too late to come back safely.
Another day, we hitchhiked all the way across town to Jahangirnagar University in the middle of the night because we heard stories of how beautiful that campus is during winter nights.
Whenever we felt like going somewhere but could not decide on a destination, Nazira Bazaar was our go-to solution. It may not sound like much too many, but back then, it was an extraordinary place to us. Nazira Bazaar is hauntingly buzzing after midnight, and it suited us just fine. A little bit of chicken chaap, Beauty’s lassi, and fire paan; those were the nights that stays with us forever.
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After the meal, we used to walk randomly in old Dhaka, which, in hindsight, might not have been the safest thing to do, but fortunately we never got into trouble; perhaps because we always went out in groups. I still remember the horses, donkeys, and the strong earthy smell on the road like it was yesterday.
By the time we were walking back to the campus, we could feel the cold breeze of the oncoming morning. The first pale light of dawn cutting through the dark sky and the night lights slowly going out made everything surreal; these are the scenes you read about in a fantasy book. But not us, we lived those moments. Countless times.
Now in my late twenties, my body is unable to entertain the strain of an all-nighter, and I live away from the campus. I will not get on Dhaka streets unless I absolutely have to. But back then, we didn’t care. And we were free. Battered by the existential crisis of a man nearing his thirties, I wonder…. can’t I go back?
