ASTANA – Kazakh singer and UN Migration Goodwill Ambassador Dimash Kudaibergen visited camps for displaced people in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, on May 18 as part of a humanitarian mission organized with the UN Migration. Photo credit: Hossain Ahammod Masum/IOM Bangladesh 2026 During the visit, Kudaibergen met members of the Rohingya community, learned about humanitarian support programs, and took part in a cultural exchange with local musicians preserving their heritage through music and art.
Cox’s Bazar, home to more than one million displaced people, is considered one of the largest refugee settlements in the world. The camps are located in areas vulnerable to landslides, floods, cyclones, and fires, while many families continue to live in overcrowded shelters that require constant repair, Dimash News reported on May 18.
During the visit, Kudaibergen and his delegation toured a shelter distribution center, where UN Migration and its partners provide housing assistance and essential non-food items across 17 camps in cooperation with the Government of Bangladesh and the Shelter/CCCM Sector.
Specialists at the center also train residents in shelter construction and repair skills. The delegation later visited the Rohingya Cultural Heritage Center, where displaced families preserve traditional language, music, storytelling, and craftsmanship despite difficult living conditions.
Community members use art and cultural education to maintain collective identity and pass traditions on to younger generations. Local musicians welcomed Kudaibergen with special musical performances, including a composition created in honor of his arrival. Kudaibergen showed particular interest in the traditional instruments made by local artisans and joined the musicians for an improvised performance.
As a gesture of hospitality, the artists presented him with a handcrafted mandolin made at the cultural center.