Images of Bangladesh

Photographing coal workers at a Dhaka cargo wharf—and watching one young man wipe his face clean—prompted me to reconsider how photographer and subject differ in their expectations of image, dignity, and selfhood.

From railway stations to workplaces, these photographs capture Bangladeshis resting wherever they can—and look beyond mere curiosity to seek the dignity of working people amid poverty.

In the small workshops around a shipyard, the widespread reality of child labour reveals a dilemma that defies easy judgment—caught between family survival, lack of schooling, and the limited choices life affords.

At a grain-drying yard outside Dhaka, I photograph village children living alongside their mothers. Their happiness amid poverty also makes me reflect on the boundaries of photographing and portraying children.

I had come to photograph the labor of a brickyard, but while waiting for the right light, I found myself playing hide-and-seek with a group of children through the lens—and the focus shifted from bricks to trust and connection.

At a railway station in Bangladesh, a stream of travellers, rooftop riders and street children making a living reveal stories of order, poverty, danger and everyday resilience—one face at a time.