Dhaka, March 31 -- My alma mater, Faujdarhat Cadet College (FCC) is a sprawling, scenic campus, sitting on 185 acres of land approximately 11km north of the city of Chattogram. In 2026, it was awarded the country's highest civilian honour, the "Swadhinata Padak" ("Independence Award") in the Liberation War category. I am profoundly delighted to have spent six of my formative years in this campus.

My memory of Faujdarhat covers the period between 1969 - 1975. Sixty-four of us had joined the college on Jul 20, 1969, the day Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin had landed on the moon. The following day, principal Col ND Ahmed greeted us by saying, "Some people have landed on our campus, just as Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin took their first st...