In 1972, he became the founder and director of initially the Cooch Behar Refugee Service extended to support refugees during the Bangladesh War of Independence. Following the war, Olav Hodne was instrumental in the founding of Rangpur Dinapur Relief Service. The organization was created in order to give aid to the refugees returning to the Rangpur District and Dinajpur District of northwest Bangladesh. This evolved into a rehabilitation, then a large and progressive development programme RDRS Bangladesh, Bangladesh. He was also instrumental in founding the Lutheran World Federation programmes in India (1974).