Guys, I want to share with you the following advice from one of my Canadian friends:
Bring spring/fall very light jackets. lots T-shirt with or without color, few short/long shrit, lots of under shirt, 2 fotua, 1 panjabi, lots of underware, lots of muza, 1 sandel, 1 leather sandel, 1 suit, 1 sweater. 1 or 2 heavy jackets, couple belts, try to get them all export quality.
For kids, same thing.
For bhabi (wife) - include sari, slawar kamiz etc. u know everything u use.
Since you have less space, whatever you bring it should good quality, nice looking, useful......Think about everyday use items and bring them. This way you do not have to disturb others to bring these for you. If not, no problem......u can buy everything here with $$$.
* Spring (Apr-May) is the best time to come, you get summer (Jun-Sep) to settle here, then fall, then winter (Nov-Mar) comes. Winter is the hardest. It also depends on how much longer time you have to Enter in Canada.
* Student loan is enough to live if both of you take it and no lavish life. But you should have some $ for backup.
in Ontario, $250/month for kids under 18, $100 additional for 6 yrs old n under. Average 1 bedroom apartment rent is about $1000, Food $150/person, utility $60, cable/internet/telephone $150, transportation $120/person. Cost is about $2500 a month give or take depends on what you do. If you buy a car, visit places, lots of party......cost will go high.
If your wife is a doctor, she can try to be a doctor here....hard but possible. She can do some technical sources like ultrasound here to get a job in that area.
Settle up all your assets, sell any problematic assets which will hard for you to deal long distance. Remember assets in Bangladesh grows much faster then here, but most of the people cry as people slowly stop helping them when time goes by, hard to sell by going back there in short time and people don't want to pay proper amount. Bring as-much as u can when u come. This will be ur new home. Don't bring minimum.
Emirate is the best airline, then Etihad. Both has only one transit but one long flight. I also like Qatar. Then Turkey. Kuwait air is not good. These are my opinion.
Bring:
Your cell phone with Bangladeshi sim. You can use it when you travel back there and it will be same number.
Bring mostly cloths, lost of cloths. Summer cloths, winter, spring cloths. Plan for 3 yrs different sizes of closes for your kids, plan slowly and start buying good quality cloths in reasonable price. Think what kind of garments u using through out the year, plus heavy winter jacket....and plan accordingly. These are light in weight and costly to buy. We shop a lot when we come to Bangladesh. But we still have to buy things here. But more u can bring is better. School bag/umbrella from popular leather in New market sells good quality from china. I bought a shoe from Bata for 1300 taka which is less then $20. Normally that quality shoes are $40 or more.
Bring items like your existing jewelry which u might leave with relatives. u might have to pay tax if u do not bring it when u come. Buy good quality/ light weight bag/suitcases. Bring things that can used over n over and they can fit in your bag. Some people bring heavy pataputa, but u can buy a blender, no need to bring patthor unless u really love to us that. Don't bring jacket that is for -100 degree and fill-up your suitcase with 1 piece which I did in 1991. Winter jackets are heavy normally, but you can look for good quality/materials, not too bulky. If you have some nice showpiece, bring them. If you have space bring a nice koraris/cartularies set for your use.
Don't bring:
Don't bring winter boots or electronics. Don't bring any food, everything comes from Bangladesh, everywhere in the world here. You have to think what u use at home, same things u will use here. Don't bring soap, shampoo, toothpaste all these heavy stuff which you can buy in cheap price. Don't bring furniture, car, house etc. Don't bring other peoples stuff.
*** Make sure both of bring all your certificates and official letters in English, Both learn to drive and bring English version. If someone has 5+ years of experience of driving in Bangladesh shows in the drivers license, they can get license here faster. Less you have to practice driving here with instructor, less money will cost you.
Will appreciate your comments/advise. Thanks...