With only 500 taka in his pocket and a heart full of uncertainty, Gias Uddin arrived in Chattogram on February 8, 2016, determined to bid a “permanent farewell” to his education. He was just 16 years old then. His plan was simple: learn Thai glasswork and earn a living. That day now belongs to the past. Today, Gias Uddin is a lecturer at Port City International University in Chattogram.
Born in 1999 in Paschim Chhanua village of Feni Sadar upazila, Gias completed his secondary education at the local village school and later passed his higher secondary exams from Chattogram College. The youngest among three brothers and four sisters, his early education was supported by his elder brother up to the SSC level. Despite being a brilliant student who always topped his class and secured a GPA-5 in SSC, financial hardship forced him to start working.
The day he first arrived in Chattogram remains vivid in his memory. After getting off the bus, he left his bag at a shop in Nandan Kanon and joined Thai glasswork under a supervisor. His first job was at a house in the Alkaran area, followed by work in a potato warehouse. Alongside this laborious work, he continued studying and eventually completed his HSC.
Education was never easy for Gias. While working as a Thai glass worker, the desire to return to his studies kept resurfacing. Once, while working at a house, he saw the homeowner’s daughter studying with a private tutor, which deeply moved him. He thought to himself that he, too, should have been sitting at a study table. Another incident at a house in Nasirabad Housing Society strengthened his resolve. While he was working late into the night, the homeowner scolded him for disturbing his son’s preparation for a Class 12 test exam. That night, Gias made a firm decision to resume his education.
After a one-year break, he enrolled in Chattogram College in the humanities group. He attended classes two days a week and worked the rest of the time, remaining largely unfamiliar to his classmates. During this period, he lived above a potato warehouse in Chaitanya Goli at Reazuddin Bazar. Five people slept together on the floor in a tiny room with no space even to keep books. Whenever possible, he studied at DC Hill Park. Despite these hardships, he appeared in his first-year final exams.
Recognizing his dedication, a colleague from Nandan Kanon Glass Market advised him to leave the job and focus on his studies. Around the same time, Gias found work at a friend’s brother-in-law’s furniture shop, where accommodation was also arranged. He worked from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., studying in between. The shop owners allowed him to attend classes, and in this way, he sat for his HSC examinations.
To prepare for university admission tests, Gias spent three months in his village, tutoring students while studying himself. His efforts paid off when he secured admission to the Department of Communication and Journalism at the University of Chittagong. Although he had visited the university area twice before for work, January 5, 2019, marked his first entry as a student.
Because he enrolled by paying fees in installments, Gias began tutoring from the very start of his university life. Finding tuition jobs in the first year was extremely difficult, yet through tutoring he managed his own education expenses and supported his parents. He lived at A.F. Rahman Hall, where a single meal at the dining hall cost 20 taka—money he often did not have. Many nights passed without food. Still, balancing tuition and studies, he completed his postgraduate degree with a CGPA of 3.58.
Gias gratefully remembers his early mentors at Nandan Kanon Glass Market, especially his supervisors Naushad Bhai and Rahman Bhai, as well as the support of friends, particularly one named Arafat.
Today, Gias Uddin serves as a lecturer at Port City International University in Chattogram. Yet he still prefers to see himself as a student. “The struggle has only just begun,” he says. “There are many more paths to cross ahead.”
