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The Encyclopedia of Photography’s Art and History

"Fallen Stars", Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan (1984) | PhotoAnthology

Fallen Stars

Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan (1984)

Child labor in South Asia, with scenes of daily work and brief respite, amid poverty, climate disruption, and limited access to education.

With contributions from: Alasdair Foster, Talking Pictures (curator). Suggest an Edit

Fallen Stars

Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan (1984)

Child labor in South Asia, with scenes of daily work and brief respite, amid poverty, climate disruption, and limited access to education.

Popy (8) collects garbage with her stepmother in a dump yard. She always brings her doll despite scolding. Migrated from Bhola island. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2014.

Belal (14) and Tazool (12) carry bricks all day. Their father took 20,000 BDT ($230) for six months’ labor. Brickfield, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2019.

Children carry heavy loads daily at the Brickfield. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2019.

Mohammad Rafi (9), a scrap collector in Leh, earns $2–3/day. His family migrated from Kolkata. Leh, Ladakh, India, 2015.

At Anandabazar dump yard, hundreds of migrant families work day and night. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Children scavenge at night in Anandabazar dump yard. It's dangerous, but competition is lower. A child recently died in a fire pit. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2019.

Suddenly during work, Shakil (12) was covered in aluminum substances at the factory. He works without any protective gear. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Shakil asleep on tools after hard work in aluminum factory. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

At brickfields, workers eat low-quality meals of rice and vegetables. Bakkar brickfield, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Portrait of Liton (10) at an aluminum factory. He supports his family and disabled brother. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Children work daily at Anandabazar dump yard, earning about $1. Most are migrants displaced by floods or climate change. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Shafik and other children carry overloaded bricks from morning to evening. Bakkar brickfield, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

A girl was injured by an explosion while collecting garbage at the dump yard. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Shafik (11) was beaten by his master for playing during work. His father took $80 for six months' labor. Bakkar brickfield, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Shafik (11) plays his village flute during breaks. Brickfield life didn’t silence his music. Bakkar brickfield, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Delwar collects scrap metal and plastic at Anandabazar dump yard, where cows, dogs, and crows are his constant companions. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Poli (6) works as a maid in a residential house. Hearing a Bengali film song from outside, she couldn’t resist dancing—free of fear, her childhood joy burst through. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2014.

Jamal runs back from the fiery, smoky ground clutching salable scrap. Though it’s dangerous, he does this work every single day. Anandabazar dump yard, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Shafik (11) working above the pile of burning bricks in a brickfield. The work is extremely dangerous and vulnerable for children. Bakkar brickfield in Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

While adult workers nap during their lunch break, child laborers spend the time playing. Bakkar brickfield, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

A group of child laborers with their factory owner at Muradpur aluminum factory. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

A silent howl rises from the garbage heaps of Anandabazar dump yard, echoing the despair within. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Harun (13) and Bashir (12) transport goods by horse cart, earning $1–1.5 a day—only when work is available. Known in the Teesta sand dunes for being energetic, active, and cheap. Teesta Char, Rangpur, Bangladesh, 2021.

At Anandabazar dump yard, hundreds of child laborers and their families work day and night to survive. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Roni (8) works in a scrap metal shop during the day. His parents want him to study, and he attends lessons at an NGO-run school. Agrabad, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2014.

Portrait of Ridoy (9) at an aluminum factory, where he works at a young age. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Portrait of Liton at an aluminum factory, where he works to support his family. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Physically challenged Shakil (12) carries a heavy load at an aluminum factory. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Child laborers at Bakkar brickfield play cricket during their break—brief moments of joy amid hard labor. Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

Shafik sits beside the Karnafuli River in the evening, thinking about his family, village, and friends. Bakkar brickfield, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 2013.

More by Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan

Self-portrait. For a time, it seemed that I could no longer be worldly, it would have been better if there was no family, I want to escape from family life, I am stuck, I want to be free from all family ties. 2020

Life In The Cage

Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan (1984)

Confinement during lockdown within a shared home reveals emotional strain, interdependence, and adaptation among family members.

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