15/09/2026
From Strangers to a Team : This Is How It Begins!
There's something magical about the moment a group of strangers becomes a team.
On September 12, 2026, COOL Lab welcomed its newest volunteers at the Canadian University of Bangladesh for our Summer 2026 Orientation and what a morning it was!
From the moment volunteers walked in, they were greeted by name by Research Assistants Akbor Hosain Santo and Mehedia Muna a small gesture that set the tone for everything that followed. Nobody walked in as an outsider.
The program was anchored with warmth and structure by Lab Coordinator Md. SM Sajid and Research Assistant Israt Jahan Mohona. Then Lab Head Mohammad Hamid Al Muktadir took the floor to share the story of how COOL Lab came to be and why it exists.
"Our mission is grounded in evidence-based inquiry and the belief that science can meaningfully improve health trajectories starting from early childhood," he told the new recruits. It was a mission statement, but it landed like an invitation.
🎯 More highlights from the day:
✅ A fun COOL Lab-themed bingo game that turned strangers into collaborators—congrats to Elma Zahan Esha for winning first prize!
✅ A powerful role-play on real-world data collection titled "Gobeshonar Bishoy," written by Refat Jahan Busra and performed by Mushfiq Alam and Md. S M Sajid
✅ Volunteers submitting their own research ideas from day one—because their voices matter
✅ Honest, personal stories from Research Assistants Mehedia Muna, Tahsin Tabassum, Mushfiq Alam, and Hossain Sakib Chayan about growing within COOL Lab
✅ A heartfelt closing note from Co-Supervisor Maria Haider Shanta, reminding everyone they're part of something larger than a single project
By the time the hall emptied, nervous smiles had transformed into confident ones. Our new volunteers arrived as strangers and left as a team ready to turn evidence into action, one child, one family, one community at a time.
Welcome to the COOL Lab family!
Hashtags:
