On May 18, during his humanitarian mission to Bangladesh as a UN Migration Goodwill Ambassador, Dimash Qudaibergen met with musicians from the Rohingya community.

At the Rohingya Cultural Heritage Center, people who were forced by circumstances to leave their homes carefully preserve, collect, and share elements of their national art and culture. They pass down the stories of their people to younger generations, play traditional musical instruments, and even craft them by hand despite the difficult conditions of temporary settlement.

A group of musicians welcomed the guest from Kazakhstan with a musical performance. Violinist Roshid Ahmed, drummer Imam Hossain, multi-instrumentalists and music teachers Sabbir Ahmed and Mostafa Khatun, composers, mandolin players, and singers Mohammed Yusuf and Ahmed Hossen, as well as music teacher, composer, instrument maker, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Hamid Ullah prepared two musical pieces for Dimash, one of which was written especially for his visit.

Dimash showed great interest in the traditional instruments and joined the local musicians for an intimate jam session. He performed fragments of well-known musical works on a mandolin that was presented to him as a gift at the Rohingya Cultural Heritage Center.

Cox’s Bazar, now home to hundreds of thousands of displaced people, is considered one of the largest refugee camps in the world. Despite the challenging living conditions, music, children’s laughter, and stories continue to fill the cultural center, helping people preserve their connection to their roots.