Leaving Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, we head north to Rangpur where a number of tribes of the Adivasi, the indigenous people of Bengal live in the border region with India. Some were converted to Christianity at the end of the nineteenth century and it is they with whom we are going to spend Christmas.

In order to reach our destination, the village of Boldi Pukkur, we must transfer to bicycle rickshaw until eventually the roads become too narrow even for this simple mode of transport. Arriving in the village of our host family, we duly go about introducing ourselves according to the local customs and traditions.

The Oraun, like the Santal, no longer dress in tribal costumes. The women wear the traditional sari, and the men in Western style or occasionally a lunghi instead of trousers, but they have by no means lost their identity. As it's Christmas, Oliviero visits a barber and in the evening we are going to the theatre after which we have been invited to a wedding. Along with the barber's TV, our visit provides a fascinating spectacle for the local people.

We visit other villages in the area and in one of them encounter a freezing-looking boy. His mother has left the family and both the villagers and his father do little for him. He shows us where he sleeps, a cowshed, and also shows us his one and only toy - a tattered doll - when others have many more. His footwear is poor and even though the shoes don’t fit correctly, he has no alternative but to put up with them. The same for his shirt. But thanks to the Red Cross, a variety of clothing reaches this area.

Under the envious gaze of the whole village, a fundraising campaign is concluded with a general distribution of sweets, because it’s Christmas: "Shugo Borodin!"

Our Christmas in Bangladesh finally ends in Kantajee, but there is still much to tell about this amazing country that is situated on the banks of the Ganges and Brahmaputra.