Mirza Hasib:
Dhaka University, one of South Asia’s oldest and most iconic academic institutions, transformed into a vibrant landscape of nostalgia and joy as the Batch of 1998–99 returned to the TSC premises for their Mega Reunion 2025 on Friday, May 16, 2025. Organized with great enthusiasm and precision, the event brought together former classmates, many of whom were meeting after more than two decades, to celebrate friendship, memory, and the passage of time.
From early morning, the TSC grounds began to fill with familiar faces—some marked by age, others seemingly untouched, all lit up by the joy of reconnection. The day began at 9:00 AM with registration and breakfast, setting the tone for a full day of heartfelt exchanges and cheerful reminiscences.
The program officially commenced at 11:00 AM with the national anthem, followed by a moment of silence in memory of batchmates who had passed away. Emotions ran high as names were remembered and the shared silence turned into a symbolic embrace across time and distance.
A colorful rally then circled from TSC to the Aparajeyo Bangla sculpture and back, sparking a spontaneous outburst of song and laughter. The lyrics of “বন্ধু বিনে প্রাণ বাঁচে না” echoed across the campus—an anthem that perfectly captured the spirit of the day.
Former students posed for group photos, organized by department, residential hall, and workplace. Two dedicated photo booths were set up to help preserve memories that had been decades in the making. As one attendee noted, “Just being back on campus makes us feel young again. The years fall away the moment you see an old friend.”
Israful Aulia, an alumnus from the Economics Department and a current official at Bangladesh Bank, attended for the first time. “This event gave me the chance to reconnect with my roots,” he said. “University life is something we often drift away from in the hustle of our careers. Today, it feels like we never left.”
The afternoon unfolded with lunch, a souvenir unveiling, a raffle draw, and cultural programs that brought together generations of shared memories. Alumni laughed over old jokes, revisited old debates, and danced to the rhythms of their youth. The highlight came in the evening when the celebrated band Different Touch took the stage, sending waves of energy through the crowd and making it feel like the early 2000s all over again.
As the sun set and the final performances concluded around 9:00 PM, emotions were high but so was the sense of unity. What could have been just a day of gathering became something more: a celebration of resilience, friendship, and the lasting bonds formed in the classrooms, canteens, and corridors of Dhaka University.
“Batchmate means a friend for life”—the reunion’s theme—resonated deeply throughout the day. Whether through the raucous laughter of old jokes, the quiet tears shed for lost friends, or the warm embraces between classmates, the sentiment held strong. In the words of Sheikh Selim Reza, convenor of the organizing committee, “This wasn’t just a reunion; it was a reaffirmation of who we are and where we began.”
Indeed, for those few hours, the university was more than a campus—it was a living memory, a place where time stood still, and the friendships of youth shone brighter than ever.
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