Born to work

“I see the beauty of people and the human soul in the pictures I take. And though the circumstances of some of the people I portray may be grim, back-breaking, depraved, the people themselves are always remarkable characters and souls” Gmb Akash

Child working in a silver cooking pot factory.© GMB Akash

17.5 percent of all children aged between 5-15 are engaged in economic activities. The average child labourer earns between 400 to 700 taka (1 USD = 70 taka) per month

Child working at a silver cooking pot factory. The child labourers earn about 200 taka ($1=70tk) per week and they work about 10 hours a day. Dhaka, Bangladesh.© GMB Akash

© GMB Akash

© GMB Akash

  “He laughs, he run & his eyes sparks like any other kids we see around us. When they spend hours after hours under pressure to become one of capable member of their family, they start to diminish. Poor families have to send their child to face the cruel world by sending them in factories, streets instead of school. Little children start to know the world by sleeping in the street, breaking bricks or carrying sands”  Gmb Akash

© GMB Akash

Shilu works separating sand and stone. At least 10,000 people, including 2,500 women and over 1,000 children, are engaged in stone and sand collection from the Bhollar Ghat on the banks of the Piyain River. Building materials such as stone and sand, and the cement which is made from it, are in short supply in Bangladesh, and commands a high price from building contractors. The average income is around 150 taka (less than 2 USD) a day. Jaflong, Sylhet

Rahman (12) is beating by the owner of the textile factory. His job is sewing children t-shirt. In the mean time of work he was slow to deliver, that’s why he hit by the owner. He earns $1 by ten hrs of work in a day. Dhaka. Bangladesh

© GMB Akash

13 years old Fatema is getting older with the experience of carrying brick for construction sites. She has to take materials for construction firms & moves up to sixth floor with all those heavy materials all day long. She got 1500 tk per month for carrying countless buckets from morning to noon. Surprisingly, this 13 years girl represents herself way too older than her real age. Dual shade of her face, displaying the lost child in the reality of surviving. Dhaka. Bangladesh

© GMB Akash

© GMB Akash

© GMB Akash

Tired Motalib (12) was taking rest in the sand field of Jaflong, Sylhet. Before sun shine he starts to collect stones in his basket. In sunset when the contractor counts stones & fix money in order, he gets some time to relax. He can take 35-40 tk when he leaves the field. While he looked into the camera his sweat & sand covered body defeated by his curious eyes & innocent smile.

© GMB Akash

Nine years old Shakil’s job is to make balloons. In the time of making these colorful toys, he himself mixes by those powder ingredients. His has done his works usually after the sunset. If any balloon is not fit to sell then the seller gives it to him. He keeps it for his young sister because he usually didn’t get any time to play. He gets 700 tk for a whole month of working, Dhaka.

© GMB Akash

© GMB Akash

“Their innocent smile can break your heart into enormous pieces if you stand in front of where they work [and] live.”

© GMB Akash

“I want to deliver their voices to all of you & their hidden pain & cries. If any of you spend one second in a thought to help or even a prayer for them is the reward of all hard work”  Gmb Akash

© GMB Akash

“All the time the heartless scenario, people sufferings & my inner emptiness had frozen my finger to click. But with all those sorrows in expression accompanied by smile when they give a look, they push me to overcome anything. & then my clicks never take a break”  Gmb Akash

© GMB Akash

These are the hands of Alamin, 11 years old brick field worker who starts work from 5am. Smoke & ashes covers Alamin’s whole body but works never cover a smile in his face. He carries brick from the field to kiln. He usually carries 4 bricks at a time top of his head. per brick is almost 2.5 kg in weight. For 1000 bricks the workers get 80 Tk. Alamin covered with smoke & ashes, at the same time he carries 400 bricks a day in cost of his fadedness. His family comes from Kishorgonj with their three children and all of them are selling their childhood costing per day nearly 80Tk.

© GMB Akash

“No one has the time to listen them, they are mostly unseen human. I tell their stories, depicts their emotions, steal their sorrows in my frame…if these stories ever touch your heart please feel free to share ….your sole help can even awaken people to bring their hands to these lost souls..” Gmb Akash

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Tags: Bagladesh, child labor, children, dangerous, Dhaka, factory, innocents, Labor, Old Dhaka, poverty, Save the children, south asia, UNICEF

• May 28, 2011
• Survivors
• 21 Comments