SINGAPORE - Bangladeshi worker Basir Uddin loves to fish whenever he gets time off, joining many other anglers at his favourite spot, Bedok jetty.

The 38-year-old electrician, who has been working in Singapore for 15 years, told The Straits Times that each time he casts a line, he is reminded of his time as a boy fishing in the river back home in Bangladesh.

“If I miss home, I fish, it makes me feel like I am back at my hometown,” said Mr Basir, who also counts the Kallang River as another of his fishing haunts.

But the Bedok jetty is still his favourite. In his trips here, he has caught a “big catfish”, and once pulled up a haul of more than 1kg of smaller fishes - the catch would later become a meal that he shared with friends.

Mr Basir is one of four migrant workers who have been featured on a new concept train sharing their stories about how they spend their time off in Singapore.

The train - which has photographs and stories of these migrant workers talking about what they do for leisure - will run from Dec 9 to 22 on the East-West and North-South lines.

The initiative, meant to celebrate International Migrants Day on Dec 18, is meant to help commuters gain a better understanding and appreciation of the migrant community here. Commuters can also scan a QR code where they can leave encouraging messages for migrant workers here.

The project is a collaboration between the Ministry of Manpower’s Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) group, social enterprise Holdinghands Studio, and SMRT Trains.

Asked about how it feels to have his picture on the train, Mr Basir said: “It’s unbelievable, and very exciting, I never expected that this will happen in my life.”

For now, ...