Accompanied by Mr. Babul, Rahman navigated us through the unusually quiet streets of Dhaka, weaving between CNGs, bicycle- or gas-powered rickshaws, cars, motorcycles, trucks, and various other vehicles, to our new temporary home in Manda in the south of the city. Thanks to Akhi’s cooking skills, we were well taken care of there and could relax on one of the two rooftop terraces after a day’s work.
We soon got used to the hustle and bustle of the streets, and the warmth and helpfulness of the project staff made our work easy. Without their support, we would probably not have gotten very far with our modest Bangla vocabulary. It is impressive to see how everyone involved cares for their patients—and for one another—and how appreciatively the patients accept this help.
On two weekends, we had the opportunity to explore the diverse landscapes of Bangladesh. We strolled through the beautiful tea plantations around Sreemangal and ventured into the world’s largest mangrove forests, the Sundarbans, in search of the Bengal tiger—unfortunately without success.
The only hardship we faced was the heat in Dhaka, as temperatures often didn’t drop below 30°C even at night. We shared this discomfort with the locals themselves, as our translator Rouf would daily reassure us, “Winter is coming.” The slightly cooler winter temperatures finally arrived just two days before our departure.
At this point, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you once again—to the staff in the projects, to Babul, to Austrian Doctors, and to everyone who supports these projects in any way. In conclusion, we can only recommend to anyone who is feeling even a little curious to experience the adventure of Bangladesh for themselves.
Bangladesh, we’ll see you again.
Until then, all the best, Viktoria and Michalina, October 2025.
