The story
The rickety taxi flew frantically along Dhaka's ring road when the view in front of me suddenly appeared—it was Dante's hell. We were entering a vast area filled with twenty to thirty chimneys, all belching black smoke amid lakes of toxic water that reflected surreal silhouettes. It felt like a scene from an apocalyptic movie. Some might call it surrealistic, but the reality was more prosaic—these were brick factories.
Today, more than 7,000 brick factories in Bangladesh produce between 23 and 32 billion bricks annually. This enormous industry supports more than 1 million people, around 33% of whom are children under 15. I stopped the taxi next to two young men sitting in chairs just in front of the chimneys and toxic ponds. They smoked and talked as if they were standing in front of a swan lake with lilies.
Bangladesh has manufactured bricks for centuries, thanks to abundant clay from nearby rivers and waterways. The production method has changed little over time. Workers manually make brick blanks by pressing clay paste into special molds, then baking them in ovens. These kilns continuously emit toxic gases and dust from burning low-quality coal. Most brick factories are located close to towns, resulting in severe pollution.
I managed to visit several brick factories in Bangladesh. In Chittagong, I found one where I could walk freely and take as many pictures as I wanted—unlike at the Chittagong Ship-breaking yards. I'm not sure this would have been possible if the owner had been present, but it gave me the chance to photograph the production up close.
Almost everything was done manually. Workers and boys carried bricks and clay in huge baskets on their heads or dragged them on specially made wheel-carts. Three boys pushed primitive carts with wooden platforms up the riverbank. Another group poured clay into special molds, forming bricks. A third group placed the raw bricks into kilns to bake. A group of boys—some under 15—watched me with interest as I took pictures. One of them smoked a cigarette and stared at me with the look of an adult. I took portraits of almost all of them.
My tour in Bangladesh for a small group of 7/8 people
People work here because there are no alternatives, and their children must support their parents. Most workers are trapped in a debt cycle, turning them into modern slaves.
In the brick factories, low-quality coal and garbage burn, producing a suffocating black gas that slowly rises and merges with the low clouds—the environmental pollution is of epic proportions.
There are currently 11 national and international official regulations, laws, and other documents, two of which directly relate to this industry. Seven years after my visit in 2013, I am sure that almost nothing has changed in these people's lives, despite the many documents and good intentions.
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