The Bangladeshi leather industry is a flourishing development. The quality and quantity of leather produced has improved and both foreign and domestic investors have put their money in this sector. The export of leather good has also increased the country’s foreign currency reserve. Overall, a happy story.

But there have are two issues which have not been included in the above success story. One is how the industry’s waste management is having a major effect on health and environment. Secondly the worker’s wellbeing are being overlooked while they work and live in extremely unhygienic and hazardous condition.

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

Belonging to the so-called educated class, when I first entered the tannery area, I was utterly shocked. How could anyone live in this situation! slowly, as I progressed with my research, I entered into the lives of the workers. I began to understand more about why these people are driven to live in this misery.

When I first started visiting this area, many were scared and kept away from me. It didn’t take me long to find out the reason. They were not scared of me, but feared my lenses. If dear of home find out that these workers are living I such disgraceful condition, and are not working at reputed 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”.

Some workers asked in a frustrated tone. “what’s the point of taking our photographs? No improvement take place. We remain the way we are!” they live in one of the most polluted area of the country. They have setup families here,where their children are growing up, innocent and unaware of the risk the surroundings pose to them.

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

Earning huge profits for their bosses, laborer’s make on average 100 takas (us$ 1.50) a day without any job security.