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Life in Campus

My teacher, my magician

Arif Ashraf Nayan

I have always heard stories about teachers who were people larger than life, who 'created' extraordinary human beings with their magic touch. I always wondered, do really teachers change lives? I was in a serious dilemma with my own experience as most of my teachers in school were good as persons but they were not magicians. However, completing the first phase of education I enrolled myself in the undergraduate programme of American International University Bangladesh (AIUB). Here, to my utter surprise, I came across some magicians just like the ones I read in the fairytales in my childhood days.

Faheem ( second from right) with Nayan, Arafat and Bipu

In one of the cultural events in AIUB I saw a person singing Tagore song while playing an electric keyboard. I thought the musician was an MBA student but soon I discovered that he was a faculty member, our own Faheem Sir! That was the first time I saw this magician who later changed my life for good. After several semesters I became his student in the business communication course and learned that this teacher has a Ph.D degree and it came to me as a blow as I have not seen any person this young having a doctorate degree.

Faheem sir had a unique method of teaching with audio and visual aid, always encouraging the students to talk and participate. He made us discuss such topics that made us think and be proud of being Bangladeshi with his extraordinary lectures on culture and heritage of this land. Besides teaching, he is an outstanding musician, columnist, playwright and above all a gem of a person.

AIUB organises annual intra-university public speaking competitions and in 2004 while doing his course I participated in the event. I never did public speaking or debating of any sort in my life. Faheem Sir gave me the inspiration and encouragement to take part in the event and I ended up being the runner up and then champion in the following year . That was the beginning and later I achieved many awards and led the AIUB debating team in many national and international competitions. I never knew that I could talk in front of a hall full of people. But the magical words of Faheem Sir made it possible. This magician makes everyone the winner.

Once Faheem Sir said, “Don't take freedom too much for granted. Every generation needs to earn its own freedom and should ensure that the torch of liberty burns forever.”

A teacher who sings too!
Let me give a little musical resume of our teacher Dr. Faheem Hasan Shahed. He has in fact achieved milestone in almost every facet of musical domain with his soulful melodious tunes, which he himself composes and sings. His songs have been critically acclaimed by the media and audience. Leading newspapers of Bangladesh have endorsed Faheem's outstanding stage performance on several occasions. Recently he has launched his musical album HAATH CHERO NA (Do not let go of my hand) on Valentines Day.The songs were sung by AIUB students and the tunes was composed by him. His upcoming album is named "Bristi Konya" and the title song has already been telecast in the program 'Chawa Pawa' in BTV and appreciated by audiences across the country.

Dr. Faheem has learned classical music and Rabindrasangeet in childhood under Late Ustad Ram Gopal Mohanta, Late Ramani Mohan Das and Ustad Sudhin Dash. He has been performing in the radio from a very early stage of his student life. Besides singing he has arranged, conducted, and performed at International Cultural & Musical Festivals in New Delhi during his M.Phil. and Ph.D. days in JNU from 1996 to 2001. Faheem does not believe in commercial approach toward music. He judges music as an aesthetic aspect of life that enriches a human being morally and emotionally. He believes that music should first and foremost touch the soul.