“The Great Hero”
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Back then, I hated going to college. I was completely miserable. I could not understand how I would ever manage all the science subjects. Every subject seemed unbearably difficult and overwhelming, to the point that I felt I might lose my mind. Yet whenever I thought about studying in any department other than science, I felt death would be preferable. Still, every time I looked at the science syllabus, I almost fainted in fear. There was no way I could study that much. If I spent so much time studying, when would I play or wander around freely?
With a heavy heart, I would sit beneath the dark, shady trees beside the vast wetlands in front of our house. Sitting under the dense shade, I would think, I will not study anymore. I will become a shopkeeper, start a cattle farm, and so on. Everyone at home was worried. My teachers were disappointed. I had become a “ruined” boy. Some neighbors were secretly delighted that I had given up studying. What place does education have in the life of a poor person anyway? they thought. Some advised my family to put me to work. There were endless suggestions—working in a clothing shop, at a hotel, becoming a mason, working in a garment factory, and so on.
But I found no one who would lovingly guide me in the right direction. I myself could not understand why I had developed such a deep aversion to studying. For some unknown reason—perhaps fear or anxiety—I stayed completely away from studies for several months.
Then came spring.
Just as trees shed their leaves and grow anew, my mindset began to change. I thought, Let me give it one last try. Even if I cannot study seriously, at least I will spend a few days at college. I would sit alone in different corners of the huge college field.
One day, my friend Shamim forced me into a physics class. We sat at the very back. After a while, a man entered the classroom leaning on crutches, dressed very simply. I think his left hand and right leg were heavily bandaged. He limped into the classroom. At first, I thought some helpless man had come asking for help. I was sitting there absentmindedly. Shamim whispered, “Sir has arrived.” But I still could not identify the teacher.
A few moments later, he began speaking.
Slowly, I realized he was teaching gravitation and gravity in physics. By the time the class ended and he left, I was still staring fixedly at the writings on the blackboard. Then came the math class, and eventually college ended. On my way home, the concepts from the physics lecture kept echoing in my mind. Every word the teacher had spoken felt engraved in my memory.
That evening, I opened my physics book. Closing my eyes, I tried to recall everything Sir had said. I read the chapter on gravitation for a while. Suddenly, I made up my mind: Even if only to learn physics, I will keep coming to college. The other subjects—I may study them or not. Life will not stop because of academics. After all, many great scientists, philosophers, and writers had no formal degrees. Maybe I will not earn one either, but I will learn physics properly, and then whatever happens, happens.
And so I started going to college, waiting eagerly for physics class.
Weeks passed this way. I began visiting the respected Asim Sir. Gradually, my interest in studies returned. Listening to him increased my passion for science many times over. I felt that passing or failing exams did not matter; what mattered was learning physics properly.
Later, I sought his help not only in physics but also in solving difficult mathematical problems. I even went to him many times for chemistry. Whenever he explained mathematics or chemistry, it felt as though he were a teacher of those subjects as well. I had never imagined physics could be taught so simply. When Sir taught, it felt like listening to a fascinating story or reading an engaging novel.
Slowly, the broken person inside me began to come alive again.
During the Intermediate examinations, near the end of the exams, I became terribly ill. Severe gastric pain and high fever left me exhausted. Somehow, I completed the written exams. Coincidentally, on the day of the physics practical exam, I became even sicker. I could barely stand properly.
I called Sir and explained my condition. I asked, “Sir, will there be a problem if I cannot attend the practical exam?”
He replied, “Even if you cannot fully take the exam, you must at least be present. Otherwise, you will fail.”
With immense difficulty, I sat in the exam hall performing the experiments. In my feverish state, I barely understood what I was doing. Every now and then, the external examiner came to check on me and ask how I was feeling. Later I realized that Asim Sir had already informed the teachers about my illness.
In the middle of the exam, while I was submitting one of my experimental results, Asim Sir arrived. He placed his hand gently on my back beneath my shirt collar and said, “Your fever is very high. Don’t worry. Just do as much as you can.”
Suddenly, I felt an indescribable strength within me.
Alhamdulillah, by the end, all my experiments and viva examinations went very well. The external examiner repeatedly said, “Asim Sir’s brilliant student. Despite being seriously ill, he performed wonderfully.”
When the exam ended, I came out of the room. Asim Sir helped me onto a rickshaw beside my father. Then he gently stroked my head and told my father, “Brother, don’t worry. He will do very well, InshaAllah.”
As our rickshaw began moving, Sir started his motorcycle and left. We returned home.
During the mango-and-jackfruit season, the HSC examination results were published. I had earned a GPA 5.
I called Sir. Before I could even say anything, he said, “Congratulations! You got GPA 5.”
After that, our communication gradually faded. Due to financial struggles in the family, lack of proper preparation, and many other reasons, I could not sit for exams at prestigious institutions. Life did not move forward as I had hoped. Eventually, I enrolled in a subject at a lower-ranked university.
Sir had once told me, “Wherever you get admitted, let me know.”
But for some strange reason, perhaps out of shame, I never contacted him properly again. Maybe Sir had expected much more from me.
Years passed amidst countless struggles, responsibilities, and endless busyness. I completed both my Honors and Master’s degrees. Sometimes I marvel at the thought that the boy whose education could have ended in higher secondary school eventually became the top student in both Honors and Master’s examinations in his department. Alhamdulillah.
Later, I ranked first in my very first job examination and joined the teaching profession. After that, due to lack of preparation and various complications, I did not seriously attempt many other job exams.
I may not have achieved much in life. But whatever little I have achieved, wherever I stand today, the contribution of my respected Asim Sir is immeasurable.
At such a young age, he rebuilt a completely shattered person like me with extraordinary affection, kindness, and sincerity. He could easily have ignored me or avoided the burden altogether. I studied privately under him for several months. He knew I struggled to pay tuition fees. Yet he would tell me, “Never stop coming to my house for lessons under any circumstances.”
I would never dare claim I can truly evaluate him. I can only say that he was such a generous and noble-hearted man that he never once allowed me to feel humiliated in front of others. He could easily have publicly said, “You do not need to pay tuition fees; just come and study.” Instead, he called me aside privately and quietly told me never to stop coming.
Even today, I cannot fully express in words what that moment meant to me.
At this stage of my life, I always try to follow Sir’s example.
Long periods pass without any contact between us. Often I feel I may not have fully honored his faith in me. Perhaps I should have tried harder and achieved more, so that I could uphold his dignity even further.
Still, whatever little I have been able to achieve today cannot be described without mentioning the immense role of my respected Asim Sir.
From the deepest corners of my heart, endless prayers flow for him. Sir is, in my opinion, the best teacher in the world.
May the great hero of my life always remain well.
Writer: Md. Sahidul Islam
Lecturer in Geography
Rangpur Cadet College