I swapped a life of comfort in Bangladesh for an empty fridge and blizzards in Canada

Mohammad Akib Hossain · for CBC First Person

· Posted: Mar 16, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

This First Person nonfiction is the acquisition of Mohammad Akib Hossain, an planetary pupil studying astatine the University of Regina. For much accusation astir CBC's First Person stories, delight see the FAQ. This communicative is portion of Welcome to Canada, a CBC News bid astir migration told done the eyes of the radical who person experienced it.

The upwind howled done the bare streets arsenic I stood astatine the autobus stop, my fingers numb contempt being buried heavy wrong my overgarment pockets. The entity was a dull shadiness of grey, mirroring the value I carried wrong me. It was 1 of those mornings wherever I questioned everything — wherefore I near Bangladesh, wherefore I came to Canada, and whether I adjacent belonged here.

Then, conscionable a fewer steps away, I saw a kid playing successful the snow, her laughter piercing done the soundlessness of the frozen morning. She twirled, carefree, until her tiny boots slipped connected the achromatic ice. In an instant, she fell. Within seconds, her parents rushed from down and picked her up.

I lifted my regard to the immense Saskatchewan sky, and arsenic a gust of acold upwind deed my face, a crisp realization washed implicit maine — I was connected my ain now. No substance however hard I fell, determination would beryllium nary 1 to prime maine up and enactment maine backmost connected track.

I was calved into a privileged household successful Bangladesh and always received much than I asked for. I utilized to aftermath up astatine 10 a.m. to a steadfast meal served to maine connected a metallic platter, without having to interest astir washing the dishes later. A fancy seven-seater car waited astatine my doorstep to prime maine up and driblet maine disconnected astatine school. I was shielded from struggles, ne'er having to permission my comfortableness portion arsenic I lived nether the protective shadiness of my parents.

Yet, thing wrong maine yearned for much — not conscionable a Canadian grade from a overseas university, but the accidental to bash thing connected my own. I wanted to measurement beyond my privileges and turn arsenic an individual, lasting connected my ain 2 feet. I wanted to acquisition beingness successful a developed state — 1 wherever mundane information wasn't a interest and wherever I could rise my voice successful enactment of societal justness issues without censure.

In 2021, I looked astatine everything I owned and thought astir however to battalion 19 years of my beingness into 2 suitcases. I didn't cognize what to bring too a fewer wintertime jackets and a bosom afloat of anticipation that I would find a caller location successful Canada. 

Instead, I recovered myself successful a unusual in-between. 

The aforesaid maine who ne'er had to interest astir transportation now ran aft buses done blizzards to scope assemblage connected time. Instead of breakfast waiting connected the room counter, I present stood successful the aisles of a market store, translating Canadian dollars into Bangladeshi taka to spot if I could spend my groceries connected a pupil budget.

I took connected a minimum-wage occupation with the students' national arsenic a pupil advocate. Between moving 10 hours a week and school, I hardly had capable clip to navigator for myself and study.

I didn't archer my parents due to the fact that I didn't privation them to interest — even though they astir apt could person helped financially. They had already done truthful overmuch to enactment maine and wage my tuition fees astatine a assemblage connected the other broadside of the world, truthful I ne'er told them erstwhile I was struggling with my clip absorption oregon paying for groceries.

The azygous of discomfort was 1 I could ne'er instrumentality off.

When I saw that kid gaffe astatine the autobus halt that 1 frigid morning, I had a consciousness of realization that if nary 1 was determination to prime maine up, I had to basal connected my own. And so, I did.

I started pushing myself retired of my comfortableness zone, embracing the opportunities and resources disposable astir me. I began volunteering and by connecting with radical from antithetic parts of the world, galore of whom were successful the aforesaid shoes arsenic me, I recovered a consciousness of purpose.

Last year, I helped the University of Regina big its autumn predisposition for implicit 1,000 planetary students from each crossed the satellite arsenic an ambassador leader. 

Six months later, a South Asian miss walked up to maine astatine the assemblage and said, "Thank you truthful overmuch for the enactment that you do." 

She told maine I'd made her consciousness astatine location connected that predisposition day and she'd anticipation to bash the aforesaid for different students someday. 

I didn't adjacent retrieve interacting with her earlier that moment, yet I had someway near an interaction connected her.

I thanked her from the bottommost of my heart. But connected my mode location that night, each I could consciousness was my bosom swelling with happiness arsenic tears of joyousness rolled down my cheeks. 

My enactment felt similar it had paid off. I was portion of creating a satellite wherever newcomers didn't person to aftermath up each greeting worrying astir "fitting in," but alternatively were welcomed with unfastened arms — careless of their background.

The aforesaid idiosyncratic who arrived successful Canada ever being taken attraction of had present go idiosyncratic who takes attraction of others. 

The feeling of surviving successful the in-between still haunts maine to this day, but I would spell done it each implicit again. Pushing myself retired of my comfortableness portion has shaped maine into the idiosyncratic I americium contiguous - idiosyncratic who's figured retired however to balance studying, volunteering and yes, adjacent shopping to capable my fridge and cooking for myself!

I americium arrogant to telephone Regina my home, due to the fact that of the assemblage I built astir myself. A assemblage wherever radical consciousness welcome, recognized, and astatine home.

In the end, I genuinely recovered a location 11,500 km distant from home.

Do you person a compelling idiosyncratic communicative that tin bring knowing oregon assistance others? We privation to perceive from you. Email sask-first-person-grp@cbc.ca to larn more.