In search of excellence

Very recently I went through a lucid presentation of trials and tribulation in setting criteria for admission to the Dhaka University English department. It was an interesting write-up by an ex-teacher of the English department of the Dhaka University. It brought back memories of my early days.
After passing Intermediate in Science in 1950 from Chittagong College, I wanted to study engineering despite opposition mostly from my uncles since I was orphan. Though I keenly wanted to study engineering, I was not sure if I would cross the hurdle of admission test. So I applied for English (honours) in DU. I met Dr Newmann (possibly then head of DU English Dept) who enquired all about my schooling and after seeing my mark sheet for Matriculation and ISc examinations and talking to me about my favourite English books and knowing that I had studied in good English medium schools in Calcutta and Chittagong, selected me for admission.
A few weeks later, I also qualified through written admission test followed by viva-voice, and got admitted to the Ahsanullah Engineering College, then Faculty of Engineering under Dhaka University. I somehow managed to convince my guardians.
Had I not succeeded in the engineering tests I would have gone on for honours in English in Dhaka University. The key behind my knowledge and ability in English (the only language which I can speak, read and write fluently) was due to my otherwise illiterate mother who was widowed in 1938. She got me admitted to St Xaviers English medium school in Calcutta, back in 1940 and I matriculated from St Placid School, Chittagong in 1948. Still today I love reading English story books and among my text-books I still remember Charles Lamb's 'Tales of Human Endeavour'. Although only four tales were included in ISc syllabus, I read and enjoyed the whole book literally from cover to cover, never even bothering to know which four 'tales' were included in the syllabus.
Even today, I have a personal library of over 400 English paperbacks and hard-covers that I read and re-read to pass my free time in retired life.
Engr S A Mansoor
Dhaka