I worked of a Tannery area which is one of the most polluted area of Bangladesh. When I first started visiting the area, many were scared and kept away from me. It did not take me long to find out the reason. They were not scared of me, but feared my lens. If dear ones at home find out that these workers are living in such disgraceful conditions, and are not working at a reputable company, they will lose face. “If my wife finds out, she would rather have me as a cripple and provide for me by begging, rather than to have me work here”.

The labour force consists of people who have come from rural areas far away for a better life. They left behind beautiful green villages where there is very little garbage, and entered into the machine, the city of fortunes, the concrete jungle. However, how much good fortune they have managed to achieve remains a big question !

Many of them are unaware of the health risks they are facing – cardiovascular diseases, skin diseases, headaches, problems of the stomach, diarrhoea, cholera, jaundice, and even cancer.

Earning huge profits for their bosses, labourers make on average Tk100 (US$1.50) a day, without any job security.