Cuet campus takes on a new charm under winter fog

Winter, the coldest season of the year in temperate regions, arrives quietly after autumn and before spring. With its onset, nature sheds its old cloak and adorns itself with renewed elegance. The long-awaited chill has finally settled in, bringing with it a sense of calm and quiet grace. As winter takes hold, both nature and human life seem to pause, breathe, and rediscover familiar rhythms.

The season announces itself gently through the sweet fragrance of freshly collected date palm sap in the air and the revival of traditional pitha and payesh making in homes and on streets. In urban areas, shops brim with winter delicacies, while in rural settings, people gather around fire pits to fend off the cold. At dawn, dewdrops resting on blades of grass send a shiver through bare feet before glistening like pearls under the soft winter sun. The calls of birds echo through the stillness, while mustard fields, dressed in radiant yellow, brighten both the landscape and the spirit.

Dense layers of fog often blur the surroundings, rendering moored boats along riverbanks invisible even at close range. Walking through mist-covered paths and piercing the fog's veil brings a quiet peace to the mind. Winter also transforms attire, as mufflers, sweaters, jackets, coats and caps in vibrant colours emerge, blending warmth with evolving fashion.

Amid this natural spectacle lies the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet), the only engineering university nestled within the hilly terrain of southeastern Bangladesh. Cradled by rolling hills and uneven mounds, the campus welcomes winter slightly earlier than many other regions. In the early hours, dewdrops clinging to leaves and branches silently announce the season's arrival. As nature reveals Bengal's timeless beauty in countless forms, the cool breeze flowing through the Cuet campus awakens a new rhythm in the hearts of its students.

Fog formed from condensed dew over the lake near the university's main gate and the waters of Padma Pukur brings an instant sense of calm. From Gol Chattar to Hatosha Chattar, along Teachers' Lane and across the central field, the sharp, cold air makes one thing clear: winter has firmly arrived at Cuet.

Saikat Das, a fourth-year student of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, shared his experience of winter mornings on campus.

"On winter mornings, the pitch roads of the campus remain wrapped in fog. The calls of birds and the dew-kissed grass create a calm, serene atmosphere that feels almost heavenly," he said.

Raisatul Mokarrama, a fourth-year student of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, reflected on how winter adds motivation to campus life.

"If I didn't get to experience winter at Cuet, I don't think I could wake up early every day and make my way to classes while juggling academic pressure," she said.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Samin Yeasar, a third-year student of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, described winter at Cuet as a message from nature itself.

"The gentle smile of the morning sun emerging from behind dense fog, the dew-soaked grass and the chilling evening breeze all signal winter's arrival, turning Cuet into a green paradise," he said.