“I was born in Purana Paltan Lane on July 15, 1953. I grew up and spent my childhood there. Pulana Paltan back then was a very different place. There were a few buildings and a lot of fields, where we used to play; there were a few ponds around as well. I remember my brothers teaching me to swim in the ponds. Back then there was also a canal in Purana Paltan. On the other side of the canal was Bidyamandir School. The morning shift was for the girls. During the day shift at Dhaka Collegiate School I used to have my classes there,” says seasoned actor Raisul Islam Asad.
“I was admitted to Class II at Dhaka Collegiate School. My full name was Asaduzzaman Mohammad Raisul Islam. During admission, the person in charge showed his surprise at my lengthy name. I couldn't give an answer. Thus from that point my name was shortened to Raisul Islam.
“Every day I remember crossing the canal to reach school.”
Any fond memories? “Within a year, Dhaka Collegiate School was shifted to Sadarghat. In the beginning my nana (maternal grandfather) used to walk me to school. After a while, I started going on my own. One of my favourite pastimes then was flying kites as it was a very popular sport among youngsters. We used to walk home regularly from school to save money to buy kites and other related equipment. My friends came from different parts of the city; some from Tantibazar, Shakhari Bazar, Gandaria, Sutrapur and other places.
Sharing a frightening experience Asad says, he had a narrow escape from kidnapper during childhood.
“It was like any other day. My sister Nurjahan and I were playing in the garden. Suddenly a person came and called us. We were very young and thinking that the person could be one of our relatives, we went with him. After walking for a while, he suddenly grabbed my sister and took her earrings and then ran away. Realising what had just happened, both of us got very scared. For a moment we even lost our sense of direction and started crying. Finally we were able to find our way home.”
“I have so many fond memories of my childhood that it will take ages to recount them; but they are some of the finest moments in my life,” concluded Asad.