Come rain or shine, Mr Traveller pedals on
Growing up in protective household that did not allow him to travel far from home, Md Ismail Sikder now travels the country on just his bicycle
The vast wetland of Tanguar Haor stretches across the Dharmapasha and Tahirpur upazilas of Sunamganj district in Sylhet. It was spring when Mr Traveller visited, so the water level was low, leaving much of the haor dry. Amidst this landscape, cows, buffaloes, and thousands of ducks roamed freely, tended to by many herders.
Md Ismail Sikder, known as Mr Traveller to netizens, had been cycling around Sylhet for the past few months, and had arrived at a duck farm in the heart of the haor, after noticing signs of human activity. The duck herders welcomed him warmly.
"At one point, after an hour-long chat, the herders asked me to stay back for dinner. Witnessing their hospitality, I accepted the invitation. I stayed with them that night and had a literal feast with duck curries and eggs," Ismail recounted.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
It was just one of many stories of Ismail's solo life as a wanderer.
His roots lie in Bagerhat, Khulna, where he was born and raised. Despite spending his early years there, Ismail never had the chance to visit the Sundarbans, but now pedals his cycle across countless miles, having already explored over 40 districts.
"While I was in school and college, I yearned to go on trips with my friends. However, being the only son in the family, my parents always feared letting me go far from home — a common mindset in middle-class families," he said.
After getting a diploma from the Khulna Polytechnic Institute, Ismail relocated to Dhaka where he worked for a few years, before moving to Bogura for a job in 2018. Then in 2019, at the Khulna Railway Station, Ismail struck up a conversation with a middle-aged man, and that blossomed into a life-long friendship.
One day, this friend invited Ismail on a trip to India. For someone who had never embarked on a long-distance tour from home, he was uncertain. However, Ismail decided to seize the opportunity and embark on the trip, marking his inaugural tour.
"I took a few weeks off from work, and at that time, I was completing my Bachelor of Science (BSC) in EEE from Rajshahi Science and Technology University, Natore. Despite having to cover the fees for my upcoming semester, I allocated the money to the trip," Ismail said.
"From Kolkata to Siliguri, and then onward to Sikkim, I explored numerous places. That trip shifted my perspective, and I asked myself, 'Why am I spending my life as a caged animal?'"
Having spent his childhood in a suburban area, he had always been fond of cycling. After returning from India, he repaired his cycle and began exploring Bogura every morning. "I used to leave home with my cycle at dawn, ride for 3-4 hours, then return home and start working at around 9am. It became my daily routine," said Ismail.
In December 2020, he cycled 151 km from Bogura to Kashem Beel in Sirajganj district.
After this tour, he started making videos of his trips. Now his official Facebook page has thousands of followers.
Then, in 2021, during the Eid-ul-Adha vacation, while on an official training session in Gazipur, he started his journey to Shamshernagar in Moulvibazar, Sylhet. In one day, he reached his destination after pedalling 225 km, marking his longest solo cycling trip.
Over the course of eight days, he covered around 900 km across various areas in the Sylhet division. He experienced the sun, rain, and the monsoon-swollen canals of Bengal, wandering like a nomad and witnessing many new and seemingly insignificant events.
To overcome his fear of solo camping and lack of hotels or any guest houses in the villages, he came up with a new idea: staying on the balcony of a mosque or any local madrasa.
"At first, it was really challenging for me to convince the mosque or madrasa authorities. However, as my communication skills improved, I found it easier to convince them. To be honest, Bangladeshi rural people are very welcoming to a stranger, if you can explain yourself honestly," said Ismail.
In 2022, he left his job to become a full-time traveller as he felt his world "shrinking" due to his work, despite having already travelled extensively. He started receiving sponsorships and ads for his content, and had some savings to support his bold decision.
He also got married.
"Before marriage, my wife fully understood me, and we made this decision together. Thanks to her support, I can travel and create content while she runs her own business," Ismail shared.
In January 2023, Ismail experienced his first solo camping trip in a beel (wetland) at Baniachong, touted by some as the world's largest village, situated in the Habiganj district. He had visited the place once before and knew that nomadic duck herders resided there during the winter season. However, upon arriving from Habiganj town, he found nobody there.
"Since I had set my mind on spending the night alone, there was no option to turn back. I set up my small, lightweight tent, which is always easy to carry. The night became extremely foggy, and I was shivering from the cold. Being my first solo camping experience, it was definitely scary. I kept my bicycle inside the tent and slept in constant fear," reminisced Ismail.
When the sun started peeking over the distant horizon in the morning, all the exhaustion and fear began to disappear from Ismail's mind.
"In the cold, foggy morning, farmers were coming to their fields with their cattle and farming instruments. I enjoyed the moment, sipping a cup of tea and then started to film the scene. If you visit my Facebook page or YouTube channel, you can find content documenting the whole experience of that night and morning. Since then, besides staying in mosques or madrasas, I mostly do solo camping, especially when visiting haor or beel areas," Ismail added.
According to Ismail, one of the most interesting aspects of travelling alone to unknown destinations is the hospitality of rural people toward an unfamiliar guest. Ismail shared that after chatting with someone at a tea stall or near farmlands, he was often invited to have lunch or dinner and even to stay at their house.
"To be honest, during my travels, I never lack food. Although I carry dry food, cooking instruments, and other necessities, most of the time I receive invitations," he added.
"For the new experiences and to taste the essence of each area, I always accept their invitations. This year, I was on a tour spanning a total of 84 days. During this time, I spent only Tk5,000 on food and Tk10,000-15,000 on servicing my bicycle. In total, the tour was completed within a budget of Tk30,000," said Ismail.
Ismail suggested that those who want to start travelling like him, they first need to just go out.
"If you want to go to a place, breathe in nature, and make friends with new people, then just start to go out. You don't have to go very far at the beginning. Start with nearby areas of your home. Always carry basic items like dry food, water, emergency medicine, a mobile phone, and a power bank on every trip," he said.
"At first, there will be fear. But danger can come into our lives even when sitting at home. So if your mind urges you to wander and find peace, do so. Buying a tent, bicycle, and basic equipment does not require a lot of money. Willpower is the biggest factor here."
