Rushing from one university to another, filling out endless forms, searching for a hostel or a shared mess, and trying to keep up with a city that never hits pause -- all while preparing for the entrance exams that could shape their future. This is the reality of every admission-seeking student who comes to Dhaka, carrying dreams far bigger than their suitcases.

The first big challenge? Finding a place to stay and setting it up -- all within a tight budget. They somehow make it work, squeezing into whatever space they can find. And unlike the long-time residents of Dhaka, furniture isn't about prestige or social status for these students -- it's purely functional. A bed, a table, a chair -- each piece is chosen not for appearance, but for survival. Today, let's move the spotlight on a furniture lane that serves these students with its functionality.

If you've ever taken a rickshaw ride from Science Lab to New Market or simply walked past the Teacher's Training College, you probably have seen it already. Just outside the college boundary, along the footpath, there lie stacks of furniture, mostly single beds (choki), chairs, study tables, benches, and stools. Straightforward in design, crafted from locally sourced wood, and often lacking the polish of showroom pieces -- these cheap and barely furnished pieces have become a lifeline for students and newcomers who are trying to set up a home away from home in this big city. As someone who has been a regular user of this rickshaw lane since my college days, I couldn't help stopping by to chat with one of the familiar faces here.

Photo: Jannatul Bushra

Muhammad Iman Ali, for over 30 years, has been selling furniture here that he brings from Zurain or Jatrabari. "We are here for the students, and only for them," he says with a quiet sense of pride and resilience, while arranging a bunch of newly arrived chairs from Jatrabari.

The students who live in dormitories, hostels, and shared messes come to him for essentials. "Our profit is almost nothing in one word," he admits, "but we stay because we know they need us." Iman Ali gestured toward the line of other shops along the pavement. "There are at least ten more sellers here, and there were more. We have been doing this for years, supporting one another, just as we support the students."

Their prices reflect their words. A bed (choki) costs only Tk 700 here -- a table Tk 800, and a chair Tk 500. So, within Tk 2,000, a student can get the essentials to start his life in Dhaka from here. "Our choki (bed) might wobble slightly, and the study table might bear the marks of hurried furnishing, but in cramped dormitories and shared rooms, these items become anchors of stability for students," Ali added with a smile.

Farhana, a former BUET student, recalls, "When I first came to Dhaka, I had nothing but a bag full of books and eyes full of dreams." Her voice carries a mix of nostalgia and pride as she reflects on her journey. "The bed and table I bought from here were my first possessions in the city. They weren't fancy, but they kept me motivated enough to secure my position in the engineering exams. Every time I sat at that table to study, I reminded myself why I came here!"

Well, Dhaka, indeed, demands relentless patience and resilience to survive. It's a battleground for students arriving from far-off villages and districts with its unrelenting pace and soaring living costs. For generations of young people moving here to pursue education, this furniture has been a saviour.