Australia Awards South and West Asia

World Mental Health Day, commemorated each year on 10 October, encourages us to support mental health for all. To mark this year’s World Mental Health Day, we highlight the story of Bishaka Tanchangya, an alumna from a remote village in Bangladesh who has become a leading advocate for mental wellness.

Bishaka completed a double major Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Development / Anthropology & Sociology at Curtin University in 2013 with the support of an Australia Awards Scholarship. Her time in Australia broadened her perspective and sparked her passion for community development and wellbeing. Inspired by her education in Australia and her personal journey, she focuses on making wellness accessible and culturally relevant, particularly for women in Bangladesh.

“Mental health is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. I’ve seen the power of yoga and wellness coaching in managing stress, anxiety and depression,” she says. Bishaka is a certified yoga instructor, specialising in diabetes management, with a qualification from Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana University in India.

Harmony in yoga: Bishaka (front) promotes community wellness through the unifying power of yoga.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bishaka began offering yoga sessions, which quickly evolved into Bend with B, a wellness initiative for women. Her guiding principle, ‘We bend so we don’t break’, encapsulates her mission to offer accessible, culturally relevant wellness practices to the women of Bangladesh. She collaborated with medical professionals to adopt yoga and mindfulness exercises aimed at reducing stress and anxiety, especially among frontline healthcare workers in Bangladesh. Through Bend with B, she creates safe spaces where women can reconnect with themselves and draw strength from their community.

“Wellness isn’t just about physical health; it’s about nurturing the mind and spirit,” Bishaka says passionately.

However, her story begins far from the yoga studios of Dhaka. Bishaka grew up in Farua, a remote village in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. As a young girl, a university education seemed far beyond her grasp.

“I grew up in a rural area without electricity and lost my father when I was in grade eight. I never thought I’d be able to pursue higher education,” Bishaka recalls.

But her determination saw her break through barriers, becoming the first indigenous woman from her upazila to receive an Australia Awards Scholarship—an opportunity that changed the course of her life.

“My Australian degree has strengthened my capacity to integrate mental health and social development in theory and practice. It helps me to reflect on theoretical and practical challenges that need to be overcome for a more effective integration of social development and mental health policy,” she says. “[My Australia Awards Scholarship] didn’t just give me an education; it gave me a vision. It showed me how I could contribute to my community in meaningful ways.”

Bishaka (front) during a yoga session at her studio.

Bishaka currently works at the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) program, part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as the National Programme Development & Reporting Specialist in Bangladesh. As a development professional, she brings her passion for wellness into her professional life and advocates for mental health as a necessity for all.

Looking ahead, Bishaka is committed to advancing mental health and wellbeing in Bangladesh. She believes that integrating ancient practices like yoga with modern mental health approaches will help create a more balanced and harmonious society.

“My journey—from a Scholarship recipient to a mental health advocate—demonstrates the profound impact of education and empowerment,” she says with conviction.

Bishaka’s story is one of resilience, dedication and the belief that wellness is a right for all, not just a privilege for some.