Invisible People of BracU: The unseen hands behind our elevators

Often, days blur together in a rush to reach an 8 am class or leave campus, eager to beat the traffic home. Students squeeze into the elevators instead of climbing the long stretch of escalators. There is a slight smell of sweat, a faint buzz of whispering, and the rustling of bags being adjusted as everyone shifts their weight from one foot to another, careful not to brush against one another in the cramped space. On every busy day or even in the slower ones, little attention is paid to the person standing in the corner, silently ensuring the elevators run smoothly. The lives assumed to be confined to pressing buttons stretch far beyond the elevator doors in ways rarely imagined. These people are the campus lift technicians.

They all arrive at Brac University at 7 am and leave at 9 pm, with consecutive shifts and breaks of 1 hour. Although they’re all capable of maintenance and repair, their responsibilities primarily lie in the lift cabins. Mohammed Shumon Sheikh joined BracU in 2017. He enjoys interacting with the students and faculties; however, he states that, “People think it’s just sitting down in the lift but it gets suffocating in the lift; the 1 hour slots make it difficult to recharge even for the short shifts.”

Contrarily, Mohammad Rahat Talukdar and Shukanto Shomoddar joke that the 1 hour breaks are probably the best part of the job. They are mentor and mentee, with an age gap of 6 years, and have worked together for years as lift technicians in a different company before. Despite feeling professionally unfulfilled at times, they believe they receive better opportunities and benefits with a livelier work environment here than the previous shifts of 4-5 hours straight. Rahat says, “We are all from different places, so it will obviously be tough to maintain peace all the time.”

Mosammod Hashi Akther, one of only 2 women serving as lift technicians at BracU, has been working at BracU since 2019. For Hashi, in the middle of the long hours lies a quiet joy. When asked about how she spends her breaks, Hashi’s eyes lit up talking about her 7 month old daughter, Tasfia. Living close to BracU means she gets to rush home to her. She speaks of this with a softness and gratitude for her helpful co workers.

Inside the elevator, Hashi has learned to map life through familiar faces. The dreary half-asleep ones, the hurried ones and the ones who pause just long enough to brighten her hours with quiet acknowledgements, Hashi remembers them all. She prefers these fleeting interactions over the bleakness and boredom of an empty campus. Another such individual is Mohammad Firoz Khan, having joined BracU in 2023, with the help of his wife, who is also a lift attendant in Brac Tower. Having lost his son in an accident and sending his daughter to live with relatives, he now finds a sense of comfort in his daily interactions with students. He understands the impatience students feel when they are unable to get in the service lifts; but he ultimately feels responsible for their intricate and fragile projects, ensuring their efforts do not go in vain.

Everyone had conveyed a desire to provide a better life for their children; for example, Shumon hoped to save enough to buy a farm in his village. The corners of these small confined blocks are filled with stories that are untold, stories that are carried by people who quietly press away at buttons as we rush past them everyday. Even a gentle greeting can lift their days with a touch of warmth.