Ruqayyah Hall (Dhaka University)

It’s not the type of article you usually come across. It’s a mixture of my private feelings and perceptions. I think it’s nothing but some scribbling better to be a part of my flurry dairy. Nevertheless, I can’t help but express my ambivalent feelings as a representative of all the girls out there.

Is there any Bangladeshi who hasn’t heard the name Ruqayyah Hall of Dhaka University? It’s the most prominent girls’ dormitory in the history of Bangladesh. Literally, Ruqayyah Hall pops up with the name Dhaka University. I have no doubt that this hall is freaking worthy of all the attention it’s getting all these times. In my father’s word, it’s not a hall—it’s a blissful village. How can I not be proud of being a shiny part of this village?

Just not only me, here every girl has their own stories—the stories of both gladness and soreness.

Living with a bunch of other girls your age cannot be boring. We eat together in the canteen, arrange tea parties, and sometimes come outside of the hall to meet with the friends from outside. Gossiping for hours with roommate seniors, having the ideas of life from their perceptions, hits different… it’s not that dismal I thought at first.

We, the girls, cannot deny that all that chaos of TSC adds more glamour to it. All the time, sounds from concerts and different cultural programs keep the hall in a festive mood. However, we also cannot deny the fact that these sounds seem irritating during exams and late nights!

I’ve always heard about the pathetic state of students living in halls. I feared not being able to settle down, as I used to know about food problems, unhygienic, unusable washrooms, and dirty living rooms in different halls. Nevertheless, from my first day of hall, I never felt there was any scarcity of food; the room I got was pretty much clear. Washrooms were not that bad, though I had a hard time adapting to them.

Before COVID, when I was a fresher, I felt like foods were cheap and tasty. After the COVID break, food expanses have skyrocketed though the quality has downgraded. For this reason, I have nothing to do but be mindful about spending money on foods these days.

Here, residential students can have anything they want from two canteens, one dining room, and two grocery shops. Girls are always gathering in these places to have their preferred items in a cheery atmosphere.

After COVID break, I am here in room no. 801 of the 7th March building. This time, I feel a bit burdened because of the rising price of all food items. Back then, before COVID, I used to think living costs couldn’t be cheaper here! I hope they will take steps to keep the prices within our bounds as soon as possible.

Here comes the great healer.

When I mention this healer is just a field, you may become shocked!

That field ceaselessly being vigilant in our pains and gains deserves all the love of this world. The way she digests all the loneliness of the lonesome souls, all the insane tales of daily happenings, and all the voices of misers makes my heart cool down. I can’t come to a conclusion. What should I feel—pity or awe towards her?

Every time I feel down, I rush to her with my ear-pod and come back with a healing heart. She has adorned herself with all those unknown flowers and trees. Some girls keep talking, lying, or sitting and creating groups, while others keep studying. On the other hand, me and my friends use her for our tea party or for surprising our lovely roommate with a blast on her birthday. All these memories around her are definitely going to warm my soul up.

Hyacinth flowers are making this hall more soothing these days. We don’t need to come outside the hall to devour the blossoms of autumn. The way these flowers are casting spells towards the girls with all their charms, I cannot help but pray they will keep on blooming in front of our dining room even after this season. Often I give a look at the scattering flowers under the tree every time I pass through the way towards dining.

The TV room, mostly used as an auditorium, is also another gathering place for girls. Time to time they arrange parties here or just lay down to express feelings with each other. Some sports enthusiast girls are unwilling to miss any important sports and gather in front of the TV to enjoy it to their hearts’ content. On the days of any big matches of football and cricket, our hall becomes filled with the sound of applause.

You may not find any sourness in this colorful life.

The most cheerful ones are the saddest ones, and so these girls are! They have to take care of themselves no matter how down or sick they are! Some girls bear their monthly expenses with the little money they get from tuition. Even sometimes I’ve seen them sending money to their family. I have always felt sympathy for them.

Moreover, I don’t think there is a single girl who never felt like having her mother beside her on the times of her period cramps or other mental breakdowns.

How my life changed after coming here.

When I was in my own home, I never thought for a second to buy or have the food I craved, but these days I try my utmost to keep my overall expanses as tight as I can. Back then, I could hardly imagine that it actually costs to buy food, and it’s not something that should be used for luxury! It’s not possible to realize what a blessed life you have when you have your parents by your side if you haven’t started living on your own yet. 

After the COVID break, I had to shift to my legal seat, as at first I was in a political room. It was hurtful as I had to leave my roommate, with whom I used to spray all the pieces of my heart. We passed great times together that I’m never going to forget. Late-night chitchat, dance party on the balcony, having coffee together, concert—I miss doing all these things with her. It’s not like I am not having fun here anymore with the change of my room; life has also changed here.

With a heart of heaviness, I started this life in this vast hall. At first, the enormity of the hall couldn’t touch me but rather caused me pain as I was having a hard time fitting myself in my room as I felt uneasy among all those unknown seniors.

These days, I’ve learned it’s full of compromise. The more you are unwilling to do so, the more conflict will rise up to make your life a hell.

At first, may be it was a problem with me, or may be it was reality that they were unwilling to accept me as a roommate. Whatever it is, now I am fully healed from all those burdens as I’m adapted here and having a great time with my roommates and friends.

I’ve already mentioned how proud we are of our hall. I literally leapt at the chance to be able to be a part of Ruqayyah Hall. That time I just heard from an acquaintance of mine living in this hall that the newly built 7 March building will be able to meet up with my demand for a better life. But I never thought I’m going to have my legal seat in this building. Currently there is nothing lacking in my life, and I am trying my utmost to make me feel like home. Nonetheless, the condition of the other two buildings is outrageous. I hope the glamour of 7th March will also touch the other two.

No doubt, it’s one of the safest places for girls to live other than their own family!

With all these things, the history and overall structure of the hall shouldn’t go unuttered.

History in brief

Who wants to go through the weighty history? Even though it’s a pain to   write, that’s why I skipped all of it instead presented a tiny part of it. The time   you went through the name Ruqayyah, you already knew the woman behind   this big name.

It was named after the name of that prominent lady, Begum Ruqayyah. The hall was inaugurated with twelve girls with the name Chameli House. It is currently standing in its own glory with four buildings named Shapla, Chameli, Aparajita, and the newly built 7th March.

I was told to write an article about my hall, but look at me, I ended up spilling out my life history here. I just felt like sharing all my views towards the hall that caused my heart pounding with emotions, nothing else!

Writter- Khatune Jannat Esha, Student of EEE, University of Dhaka.