Ever Hopeful

Singer Towhidul Islam Khan
Talks to
Salman Rob

courtesy: Towhidul Islam Khan

I started off at Udayan Higher Secondary School followed by Notre Dame College and currently am a fourth year student at Dhaka University's (DU) English department. Thinking about school, the best moments were when classes would suddenly get cancelled and we would end up fooling around or pulling pranks on people. And the worst moments have to be the fights among friends where we were later forced to change our seats. My favourite memory of school was risking expulsion while standing up to a senior teacher who was manipulating our entire class. It was a moment of epiphany for me as it made me understand how strong I could be to stand up for my beliefs and not be ashamed or feared.

Dhaka University is not just a place to study; it's an experience of a lifetime for anyone. Having grown up in Dhaka, this was the first time I got to know people from outside the capital. Although we all had cultural differences, I gradually realised that every classmate of mine was just like me-post-teen youths trying to grasp life as it comes their way. My free time was all about having tea breaks during classes at the DU Arts building, taking hours to decide where to have lunch between classes and annoying my best friend Bushra during classes was a 'must-do' everyday. To me school is all about learning how to make the right choices and differentiating right from wrong whereas, university is more about implementing those choices in the real world and gaining experience. It is a place where the platform is set, we just have to have the belief in ourselves and reach the goal that is set by us.

Tahmina Ahmed, our professor at DU, showed me how caring and thoughtful a teacher can be. She has always supported and mentored me, and also scolded me when I needed a wake up call. She inspired me to dig deeper into my creative self and explore new pavements of thoughts and capabilities that I had in me. I can not think of one single dull moment I had while doing her classes.She is truly an inspirational character whom I'll never forget.
I began doing music with my band, Alternation, after my SSC exams. The encouragement from my school buddies definitely fuelled my confidence as a singer and helped me shed some of the shyness that was holding me back. We had one of our tracks released a couple of days back, titled 'New Gun' on a mixed album called 'Play it now.' Currently the band is working on a full-fledged album for the very first time.

Lastly, I would like to mention to all the students and graduates out there, that whatever you are doing or whatever you have achieved, never forget your roots-- how you became what you are today. These are memories that I do and will cherish for the rest of my life.