India – GMB AKASH

Rising from Adversity!

Despite having roll number four, I couldn’t achieve good results because my family was going through severe financial hardships. Due to these struggles, I couldn’t focus on my studies properly. For me, my family is above everything else, and while prioritizing their well-being, I had to compromise with my education.

My sister is blind. Just before my SSC exams, my rickshaw driver father, managed to arrange her marriage after enduring many hardships. But while I was still sitting for my exams, my sister’s husband disappeared—leaving her behind. Not only that, he took all our money, the gold jewelry, everything. Later, we realized he had married her only for his financial gain.

Around that same time, my father had a heart attack. Suddenly, the weight of my entire family’s well-being fell on my shoulders. I had to split my day—half driving a rented rickshaw, half studying for my exams. After paying 500 taka to rent the rickshaw, What little remained had to cover both our household expenses and my education. Every single day felt like a battle I was losing.

It was in this ocean of despair that Akash Bhai appeared in my life, like a guardian angel from heaven. Listening to my problems he promised to give me a Auto Rikhahaw ‘Tuktuk’. And within a week he bought me a tuktuk with (1200$) almost 1 lakh and 30 thousands money.
Alhamdulillah, now I can earn almost 1000 taka par day. And can support my family and my studies.

I promised Akash Bhai that in my next exam, I would definitely achieve a good result. And I would work even harder to fulfill my dreams, and Inshallah, I would reach that place of my dreams—taking my family by my side.
_Jahidur

Revolution in Pink!

The Gulabi Gang in India, or the “Pink Gang,” founded by Sampat Pal Devi in 2006, is a powerful social movement of rural women in Uttar Pradesh. They wear pink saris symbolizing solidarity, actively combating injustices, practicing self-defense, and challenging gender norms, gaining national and international recognition. Despite facing opposition, the Pink Gang inspires change, emphasizing the ongoing need to address gender inequality and injustice in society.

‘Heroes of Life’ – Part I

‘Heroes of Life’ – are those incredible humans who always find their way to light and love. They had known defeats, sufferings, struggles yet they possess a beautiful story in their hearts, which is worthy to share with the world.

Kawser Hossain, Shamsuddin Miah and Rani’s stories touched everyone’s heart. They were featured first in GMB Akash facebook page and become an inspiration for thousands of people all over the world. This video is about how we have helped three of them so they can give a good fight with their lives and remains as unbroken as they were. Thanks everyone for giving them love, respect and support.

You tube Video: ‘Heroes of Life’ Video interview

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Yesterday, I was able to buy a new dress for my daughter after two years. While I handed sixty pieces of five taka note to the seller, he yelled at me by asking if I am a beggar. My daughter held my hand and cried to leave the shop by saying that she did not want to buy any dress. I wept off her tears with one hand. Yes, I am a beggar. Ten years ago I had never thought in my nightmares that I have to live by begging from people. The night coach fell from the bridge and unbelievably I was alive. I was alive by becoming a disable. My youngest son often ask me where had I left my other hand. And my daughter Sumaiya feed me every day by saying she knows how difficult it is to do all work with one hand.

After two years my daughter is wearing a new dress, that’s why today I brought her with me to play for some time. May be I will not be able to earn anything today, but I wanted to roam around with my little girl. I secretly borrowed this mobile phone from my neighbor without informing my wife. My daughter has no picture and I want to make this day memorable for her. When one day I will have a phone I will take a lot of pictures of my children. I want to keep good memories. It’s very difficult to send my children to school, but I am educating them all. Sometimes they cannot attend exam because giving exam fees is not always possible by me. On those days they feel very sad then I tell them, sometimes we can miss exams because the biggest exam is life which we are giving every day.

Now I will go for begging. I will place my daughter in a signal where she will wait for me. I will look at her from distant while begging. I feel shame while she looks at me when I lend my one hand to others. But she never leaves me alone. Because there are big cars, she thinks accident can happen again, these cars could run on me and I would die. Whenever I managed to get some money I return to home by holding my daughter’s hand. We do bazaar on our way and my daughter always carry that bag. During rain we love to get wet and talk about our dreams. In someday I do not get any money, on those days we return to home silently. On those days I feel like to die but at night when my children fall in sleep by holding me I feel being alive is not a bad thing. Only bad is when my daughter waits for me in the signal by keeping her head down. When I cannot look at her eye while begging. But today is different. Because today my daughter is very happy. Today this father is not a beggar. Today this father is a king and here is his princess.

– MD. Kawsar Hossain

This father and daughter received love from all around the world. It takes almost one month for me to find out him. After several meetings with the family, Kawser wanted to have a source of income. He wanted to do vegetable business in rickshaw van. He also wanted to educate his daughter and he never want to beg in his life.

I promised Kawser to gift a van rickshaw and settle his vegetable business. He has received vegetable business and a rickshaw van. His children received scholarship for one year. I long a few generous friends contributed for this cause. ‘This Heroes of life’ – are extraordinary human beings. Sumaiya and his father Kawser is already making differences in their life.

‘We can help someone with the minimum we have. Someone’s nothing can be someone’s everything’

Remember the elderly couple?’ For everyone they are ‘The Baghban couple’!

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Last year we fled together. We never thought we could do that. I knew that our children may stop communicating with us. But I and my wife are living forty seven years together. Every day after sunrise she wakes up me first and together we do our prayers. Forty seven years we never had spent a day without each other. Seeing my wife’s face was the first thing happen to me every day. We struggled together with our six children. In the past, often times I was able to manage one time food for my family, I and my wife starved whole day after feeding our children. She never complained, never told me that I was failed as a husband. After so much suffering we never left each other’s side, never fought one single day, and never lost faith on each other. When my elder son took me and the youngest daughter took their mother, we did not realize that they decided to take us separately. Our children earn little and they have their expenses. After fulfilling their children’s need our need was burden to them. We knew everything but it was impossible for us to accept that we cannot be together anymore. I shamelessly asked my elder son and he was very surprised. He informed me that none of them are capable of taking care both of us.

I tried to adjust. But every morning when I wake up I wanted to see her smile. I spent my whole day by waiting for my son’s arrival so I could talk to her with the phone he had. But he arrived late night when on the other side my daughter usually went to sleep. The day when I was able to hear her voice none of us could speak a word. I heard how hard she tried to keep clam her tearful voice and I murmured stupid things. I never thought life can become so meaningless without each other. Every day I felt to run to my daughter’s house which was far away from mine. Then one day by gaining some courage I told her that I wanted to run together. By surprising me, she asked me to go right away. I took my walking stick and never looked back. We run away together with empty hand.

Now I sell children’s toy. I hardly can manage 100 taka every day and after I return to home I found food on our bed. Our children arrived once to see us last year; they told us how we failed them, how humiliated they felt for our behavior. We did not say anything. We do not want to hurt them. They decided to never come again. Sometimes we feel bad for our children, we miss them. But we know we are running out of time. I am fifteen years older than my wife. Any day I may die in the road while selling children’s toy. So I keep saving some money in a mud bank, I do not want my wife to beg to people to finish my last work. But every day my wife cries a lot during her prayer, whenever I ask her why she is crying so much, she would always say, ‘I want to die with you’.

– Samsuddin Miah (77) with her wife Rekha Begum (62)

For Shamsuddin Chacha, it’s very hard to walk miles after miles by carrying toys in his back. After all his hard work the little money he earns goes for his cancer patient wife’s medicine. After daily struggle of managing food and medicine, every day they find their way in their wrecked one bed room house. I along my facebook page GMB Akash friends comes forward to help him. ‘After receiving the rickshaw van and shoe business we are very happy. We pray to God so we can move forward with this work. I cannot thank enough everyone who has helped us. We are feeling like today is an Eid day’ – Shamsuddin Miah

Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal …

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He was about to throw my one month old boy. I was holding his leg and he was kicking me constantly. There were scars in every parts of my body. With blade, knife and needle. Sometimes by holding my legs he pulled me out in such a speed that it was very difficult to keep my clothes on my body. My daughter had run behind me by taking one of her scarf to cover the naked parts of my body. She used to scream, ‘Please, help my mother.’ But no one came to help us. He had beaten me on the road. Someday my girl counted the scars of my body and often told me that she lost those unlimited counts. My husband was a heroin addict. After selling everything I had, we were the only things for him to sell. I used to keep poison with me all the time. My daughter knew that it was poison. Whenever we were hurt, by holding and crying to me she asked, ‘When will we have the poison, maa?’ I asked her, ‘Why?’ By weeping her eyes off she replied, ‘It’s very painful to live.’ Then that night arrived when I decided to end all our pains. We were counting hours for our death. My one month old son was smiling in his dream. I could not put poison on his mouth. I held both of them with my chest and ran away, ran away before anyone could sell us or kill us. At that midnight no one asked us what had happened, where were we going? Whenever I was slowing my daughter was crying and telling me, ‘Run Maa, run.’ When the sun was rising, we heard the sound of azaan and crows were flying all over above our heads. I asked myself, ‘Where should I go?’ I wanted to give a chance to me and my children, by breathing in free air, by having some courage to dream. Without knowing where to go, whom to knock. I do not know what we will eat tomorrow. My daughter is struggling every single day to feed us. I am incapable of walking straight. Every night I heard my daughter crying secretly, whenever I touch her head to calm her down she often whisper, ‘Everything will be okay, very soon.’ I nod and say ‘Yes’ to her. Knowing very well nothing will change, light will never enter in our lives, we will never be able to smile. Not everyone knows how it feels to be happy in life.

– Rani (33)

Rani wanted to change her life. To help her we settled her with a rickshaw van and spice business.

Everyone can help someone. Everyday can be a different day. Thanks for becoming a part of this change making journey by giving your warm words, by offering your gift and making everyone believe that humanity exist

– GMB Akash

‘Voyage to Varanasi’

I left everything behind. The unbearable noise of some angry young men, the screams of an unknown crowd as well the very loud train station fans and their monotonous melody, all were behind me! I was running at such speed that if my friend didn’t hold on to my bag tightly while pulling it, I might have fallen on the floor along with the porter who was magically carrying six-seven bags! However we safely arrived at the train departure platform. Once again I promised myself never to photograph just before a journey as every time I forget the schedule and have to rush like I did that day.

Between hundreds of trains I was searching my Vibhuti Express. The destination is Varanasi. I pushed my head forward and suddenly some small fingers held my hand. We were both scared! The small child mistakenly holds my hand. We laughed together! We all were searching the desired Vibhuti Express. I felt a great thirst to take picture in this super busy station with its very very interesting compositions that were calling me. But then reaching the Vibhuti Express was more important than any composition. It is a known truth that when you are anticipating something with all your heart it will never come easy! The train is three hours late!

My friend closed his eyes and was resting a bit. I was resting my eyes by watching people. To see people up close and from a distance is my old habit/hobby. I was praying that the train might arrive earlier so that I could explore Varanasi in the early morning. I was afraid that I was going to lose the morning light. In front of me everyone was rushing recklessly. They were scared to miss….scared to lose…scared not to reach. But finally when they were seated in the train, they were all looking behind again and again. All of us love to go ahead, but we also feel happy to see behind us. To know how far we have come! The nagging old man sitting beside me laughed for the first time; yes, the much desired ‘Vibhuti Express’ finally arrived!

We departed the station at 8 P.M and were supposed to reach Varanasi by next morning 8:00 A.M. But the excessively slow train took 22 hours and we reached our destination at 6:00 P.M in the next evening. I knew I had lost the light but still there was some hope to catch a bit of it. I jumped out as soon as the train stopped. But there is something called luck and it had decided that I am going to have a slow day. The puller of the rickshaw that we took was driving round and round, and just as slow as our train had been. It took 45 minutes to reach a distance that normally takes 15 minutes. I was so sad when I opened my hotel room’s door. I went directly to the window and after opening it I slowly whispered, ‘I can wait my entire lifetime to take images of such colour, such an old place, with such mystery that no words can properly describe it!’

Next to my window four eyes were curiously looking at me. A monkey couple was wondering about me so as I was of them. They were hand in hand. I smiled and try to offer friendship but they were confused and then they were holding hands even tighter. The night was falling and I was writing beside the window. Suddenly I saw the couple looking at me through the window glass, so close that I could touch them. Our friendship was established. Before I went to bed it started raining. While closing the window I saw, under magical light that the monkey couple were sleeping while embracing each other! I stood for some moments. The world’s most fortunate people are those who get their loved one by their side. And the most unfortunate are those who never get the chance to feel the warmth of love!

I wake up at 3 A.M and I was in the Galis and the Ghats of Varanasi by 4 A.M. There I was – in Varanasi, the place that magnetically attracts me all the time. I started taking images enthusiastically. Varanasi – the land where experience and discovery reach the ultimate bliss. This is the most blindingly colourful, unrelentingly chaotic and magnificently compelling places on earth.

I felt brilliantly alive there. Its sights, sounds, and colors brought me immediately into a different place; absorbing me into its endlessly fascinating spectacle of ritual activity. It is situated along the west bank of the holy Ganga River in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is considered as the holiest place amongst the Hindus. It always seems a magical place to me. The spiritual Ghats (steps down into the river) and the alluring Galis (a maze of narrow alleyways) are my main enticements.

Because of the rainy season the stairs of Ghats were under water. Ghat’s are the series of steps leading down to a holy river. In Varanasi, you will find around 100 Ghats. Each of the Ghats has different name, history and importance. It is quite interesting to walk along the Ghats especially in winter. But during this visit I spend time discovering Galis. Extremely narrow; the play of lights and shadows inside a Gali is very interesting. But I was very alert while I was entering inside unknown Galis and I suggest not going alone.

Since Varanasi is one of the holiest destinations for Hindus, it is very common to find various rituals going on throughout the year in this place. But my fascination was the people and their portraits. Streets of Varanasi are full of many enticing stories. I shot the whole day. Still I did not find enough time to click at as many subjects as I wanted to.

On the last day of my visit it was raining in the morning. I went out in the rain by just covering my camera with plastic and my head with a handkerchief. I was going to leave this city which is considered to be over 3,000 years old. The majestic light was shining behind the clouds. I saw astonishingly how gracefully the morning light removes all the dirt from the sky. While watching this I wished all the sorrows and suffering of the world would end like this with the light of humanity! To be able to discover such light I could come back here a thousand times and I would not mind another 22 hour voyage to return to magnetic Varanasi!

Angel in Hell – Part I

“If my images bring to life the haunting realities that millions of children face each day then this is fulfillment of my work. And if mine is the hand that blocks the scorching sun from their eyes – bringing shade for just a single minute, then there’s value in the work I do. I am talking about 7.4 million children who are risking their life each second to rescue themselves from hunger and poverty, a tale of those for whom we rarely care about. I keep asking:

Who is there to bring them in the light from their working- living-hell? Who will save these innocent hearts which will decline with time! Is there any one? ”

– GMB Akash

I have traveled extensively in all developing countries including mine to document the use of child labor in factories. Years after years I have to wait to get entries to some of those hells which are only built to burn childhood in secret zone. I waited hours and hours beside the factory gates to get seldom permission to meet up those fateless kids. They never allow anyone to keep any documents or proof bearing things, but I did it by convincing factory owner. All time the heartless scenario, danger to get caught, inner emptiness frozen my finger to click. But when those children give a look with all the sorrow in expression God give me instant power to overcome anything of the world. & then my clicks never took a break.

The factories as too dangerous for children. They are “gloomy, unhygienic, smoky” and are fading away the children’s lives. I talk to the children in the factories and they tell me their stories, adventures and sacrifices. Their innocent smile can break your heart into enormous pieces if you stand in front of where they work/ live. My photos show the terrible environment they work in. Wherever I go I find great insecurity of lives. No protection, no appreciation, no opportunity. Their treatment varies child to child. There is no specific rule of behavior towards worker nether any of the factory maintain any core of conduct. Generally teenagers get bit generous treatment compare to children. But here experience never adds up any extra benefit for them. All are struggling in their own way.

* According to UNICEF, more than 7.4 million children are engaged in economic activity in Bangladesh. Many of them work in very poor conditions; some even risk their lives. Factory owners pay them about 400 to 700 taka (6 to 10 US dollars) a month, while an adult worker earns up to 5,000 taka per month.

My intention is not just to depict the children as victims of exploitation. I want to show the complexity of the situation: the parents who send their little boy to work in a factory because they are poor; the child who has to work to earn a living for the family; the boss of the factory who engage children also helping them otherwise, as if these children stay in the road they might take drugs or might become thief. I think it is impossible to abolish child labour completely in Bangladesh in the short term, but I do think it is possible to improve working conditions and to bring more children from factories into schools. I have been profoundly affected both emotionally and psychologically after seeing the repulsive evils of child labor. I feel guilty when I eat good food, and I feel haunted by the children in my photographs. I hope to achieve justice through documenting these conditions and making people aware of what is going on in these factories.

It’s positive when after seeing these photos people take a step, even realizing their situation can help. I believe many of us definitely indebted to them who are working for us in such condition. One day one by one we will all gather against such crime. Children will go to schools instead of factories. Yes, I am taking & I will until voices raise & hands come out.

“Can you exchange a day with your own child in the place of these children? Can you deposit your children’s labor in such a place for a day in return of $1. If you can’t, can you please do something for these children? “Wishing to help” is an excuse. Shame is a mild word to what we are overlooking. May our spirit wake up.”

– GMB Akash

‘Quest for Justice – Vigilantes in Pink’

“In the time of articulating the story ‘Vigilantes in Pink’ I apprehend that Woman has the supreme power of the supreme Being. She can be the one who eliminates sufferings; she symbolizes her mastery over all qualities which society never admitted characteristically. In their sadistic world – Gulabi gang never lost their hope, fighting against the injustice they are cleaning themselves a bit. Yes, I learn from them, each day we will not get a chance to save somebody’s life, but each day of our lives offers us an opportunity to affect one”

– GMB Akash

“My real strength is not in the stick, it is in my capacity my goddess gave me to give lessons to those abusive men” – Malti, from gulabi gang

Dressed in poignant pink saris, the all-female gang shames abusive husbands and corrupt officials.The several hundred vigilante women of India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state’s Banda area proudly call themselves the “gulabi gang” (pink gang), striking fear in the hearts of wrongdoers and earning the grudging respect of officials. Fed up with abusive husbands and corrupt officials, India’s poorest women are banding together, taking up arms, and fighting back. Their quest for justice is actually working. “Pink Gang” fights for the rights of women and other marginalized people in rural India.

Banda is one of the poorest parts of one of India’s most populous states. It is among the poorest 200 districts in India. Over 20% of its 1.6 million people living in 600 villages are lower castes or untouchables. Drought has parched its already arid, single-crop lands. To make matters worse, women bear the brunt of poverty and discrimination in Banda’s highly caste-ridden, feudalistic and male dominated society. Dowry demands and domestic and sexual violence are common.

Sampat Pal Devi who was married off when she was nine, wife of an ice cream vendor, mother of five children, and a former government health worker who set up and leads the “pink gang”. She utters,

“We are a gang for justice.”

Everyday many cases come to the gang from the village and villages from nearby. A mother brings in her weeping daughter who has been thrown out by her husband demanding 10,000 rupees from her parents. Sampat Devi tells her “gang” that they will soon march to the girl’s in law house and demand an explanation from the husband. “If they don’t take her back and keep her well, we will resort to other measures”. The pink sorority is not exactly a group of male-bashing feminists – they claim they have returned 11 girls who were thrown out of their homes to their spouses. They are against injustice just not against males.

Even Pal’s group gained dishonor in early days for beating up men who abused their wives. If they heard a husband was being violent, they would show up at his door with sticks – the same wielded by local cops when patrolling their beat—and demand he change his ways. Of the many cases that Pal handles every day, the majority are related to domestic violence, dowry demands, and abusive in-laws.

At first it was just five women, all old friends. But in a span of five years, the group has grown into a powerful brigade of more than 40,000 women, including 10 district commanders, who run the gang’s outposts across the district of Bundelkhand—an area that spans 36,000 square miles. These local Pink Gang stations operate in the same way as Pal’s own home does: They are meeting places for women to discuss their problems and, like Pal’s own home, the doors are always open.

” Gulabi Gang proves that unity can be an answer to protest against the wrong stream. Why should we live our lives in constant fear of failure? While we can throw out all nonsense of our life alone! We ought to win the losing battle of life by fatal struggle. It’s not fair only to live in the line of survival. Surely we have got to make something more well than what we have got.” – GMB Akash

A World Full of Hungry Apes

“Photography has taken me to discover many unexpected territory as all time I wanted to see the sights of unseen & unforgiving incidents of reality. I was engaged in one of my personal project’s work on ‘sex workers’ for which I went to Madaripur. I have been working on ‘sex workers’ last 7 years & my works demand me to investigate their situation all over the country. Last year, in the month of August when I arrived at Madaripur it was afternoon. Shockingly I have seen thousands of apes are in street, running here & there. It was an unexpected thing of my life to see thousands of ill monkeys are moaning alone. I was traumatized, unspoken & felt awful when I understand all these thousands monkeys stand in front of me are HUNGRY. I always concern to cover stories of situation which need concentration for helping out by the assessment of the world. So I take out my camera & run to middle of them”

– Gmb Akash

In char Muguria area, Madaripur around 2,500 monkeys are facing severe food crisis. Due to acute food crisis many mother monkeys, passing days starved or half-starved, are even unable to breast feed their babies. Quite a few monkeys have already died in this serious situation. Concerned over the pitiable life of the monkeys, locals and visitors have urged immediate arrangement of food for the monkeys. Though the local communities are already poor to feed themselves but the heartbreaking scenarios of monkeys influence them to share their own food with them. Despite keeping distance with human the unable monkeys are taking foods from people’s hands. The hungry monkeys were competing for the inadequate foods like peanut or biscuit given by the visitors. They were also trying to eat whatever they got — grass, garbage, polythene etc. Baby monkeys are suffering badly in malnutrition. Even the water crisis made their lives more pitiful. Local community sought allocation for food for the monkeys but the higher authorities are yet to give any response in this regard.

“A mother monkey by carrying its dead child was passing from trees to trees. When it came in front of me & begged foods I realized the monkey did not identify its child is already dead. This pitiable situation made me terrified. These apes, whose residents are jungle, came out for food & begging to feed themselves. These climate victims are more alike my working project of ‘Sex workers’. Human & animal all are helpless in front of starvation & need. They are survivors of dreadful situation which many of us over looked or never know”- Gmb Akash

Life Indulges In Colour

I usually take a picture of a person and then afwerward when I close my eyes for recalling what I have taken – the first thing that hits my mind is – Colour. After observing a person if we try to recall, then unconsciously colours comes first in our mind. The texture of the skin, colour of hair, colours of cloths and over all colour gives us an impression about the mood of the sight. Colour is a strong element to illustrate a person’s traits. I believe every person cover a mood of colour.

From beginning of my career I am working for those people who are living in the edge of the society.While I started working with these people I surprisingly discover – life has taken all colours from them but still they are cherishing every moment of their life with colour. Colour is their courage; colour creates enthusiasm on them to fight to live for another day. Person, who has nothing, has colour in life. In beginning of my career I took all black & white photographs of those who are colourful. I found out poverty, sorrows and depressions become vivid if I skip colour from their life.

To present – ‘the present’ I start working on colour. A street child, laborer of a road or even a homeless lady all of them has colour. People who are fighting everyday to live life are heroes to me and these heroes represent colour. Their skin tone, dresses, living places all are colourful and powerful. They are deprived from all happiness of life but yet they treating themselves with colour. While I discover the truth I learned to capture the mood of colour on them.

“…I realize I have no power to deny the colour of these colourful people who are straggling in a colourless, hopeless world, nevertheless they live and smile. So I can not ignore the yellow balloon of a homeless child or even a red bowl of a beggar of the street. This inspiration inspires me to work with colour. Ans I continued my journey in the path of a colourless world to meet with all these colourful souls…”- Gmb Akash

Colour arouses my work for getting the depth of the sight. I got colour in different mood in the different part of the world. But I discover people who are fighting endlessly for surviving are more colourful than any part of the world. Because of this colour is more challenging to me. I take this challenge to explore the unrevealed spirit through every capture of mine.

I have a special affection for red. I like to take picture in the early morning and late afternoon. Unpredictably red comes to my way often. People who are living in lower rang affectionate about the colour – Red. It is important to take a red shoot carefully. Contrast might made the capture disturbing, while too much red can destroy the attention for the subject. A good composition and balancing of colour can create an outstanding shot. Apart of all it is important to discover the right mood of colour in the right temperament of an individual.

I go to country to country to explore colour differently. I have found out different colour in different cast. You will find people of power through colour. Your experiences & observations with colour will help you to reveal certain attribute of a community through colour.

– I prefer to use natural light which allows me to capture the originality of the moment of colour.

– I try to find out a natural background which suits the subject’s colour instinctively perhaps my entire colour photos are – found situation. So I believe to observe more & more while traveling frequently.

– Working with a single colour allows me to appreciate more intricate details within the subject itself.

– I travel to discover for getting the unexpected shot yet carrying the note in mind that I am searching thing which I have seen several times but never been noticed. Searching without clue for a known thing helps me to get a good colour shot.

– I only pick colour which has meaning to the subject.

“While I am taking photos of these colourful souls I am learning to live in colour. By capturing these colour moments I have learned – few hints of red, blue & yellow has inspirations in our life. People who are fighting without anything in this world are healing their pains by indulging in colour”

– Gmb Akash

Gaetano Plasmati – Inspire to create dream of imagination

“The Italian photographer Gaetano Plasmati is an enthusiastic photographer who inspires to create the dream of imagination by self power. His versatility as a photographer &\and unique initiatives remind me the famous quote: “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”

This photographer &\and adventurous traveler appealed more as South Asian rather than his Italian origin because of his continual work on Asia. He is a photographer who believes that all people of the world are his community, who focuses diverse topic with the same passion effortlessly. In working time I found him in the middle of street children while he happily gives his camera to those slum children by granting them taking picture. After traveling in 43 counties and passing 20 years in his photography career he is still the same passionate adventurer whose friendly nature and respect to others are his dignity’-

Gmb Akash

Gaetano Plasmati, photojournalist, curator and publisher, Italy

With the identity of professional photographer Gaetano is curator of the Porta Pepice Gallery in Matera, Italy, and publisher & editor of Intransit Magazine. He lives and works in Matera, where he was born in 1965. Left electronic and music studies, he tried in his heart a strong passion for voyages and for reportages photos. He has done photography reportages in almost all corners of the world: Greek, Turkey, Albania, Thailand, Birmany, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Morocco, Tunis, Alger, Libya, Niger, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Peru, India,Cuba, Maldives, Mali, Namibia, and Jordan. Traditions, popular celebrations and cultural manifestation became his documentation goals. Gaetano is also a theatre, jazz music and classic and advertising photographer.

Gmb Akash: Please introduce yourself. Where and when did you get your start in photography? Do you have any formal training?

Gaetano Plasmati: My name is Gaetano Plasmati. I come from southern Italy, the city of Matera. I began to photograph more than 25 years ago. My interest in travelling has turned my passion into a profession. I am a self-taught photographer. I have done everything by myself: bought my first camera, set up a photo gallery and my magazine. For building these medium was upon the aim to promote more photographer & photography through me. I am consistently thinking & maintaining good relationship with rest of the photographer of the world. I believe the straggle I have faced to reach so far would help me to stand by other photographers who started their journey with nothing. Also I have always been thinking that it is important for the place where I was born and live and I believe in freedom and dignity of my profession. My land, southern Italy, has a strong impact on the way I see the world of photography.

Gmb Akash: You had a strong passion for voyages and for reportages photos. So you have done photography reportages in almost all corners of the world: Greek, Turkey, Albania, Thailand, Birmany, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Morocco, Tunis, Alger, Libya, Niger, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Peru, India,Cuba, Maldives, Mali, Namibia, and Jordan. Please tell us how this travelling influences you to understand the culture of people & facilitates you to become a powerful photographer?

Gaetano Plasmati: My profession and my passion is travel reportage. I think travelling is my nature. I follow my curiosity on traditions, other cultures, political outlooks and other events in the world. Today we live in the Internet era, but for my first trips I took inspiration from books and documentary movie. The world of books opens my imagination for inventing new stories. Today the Internet helps me in researching but sometimes it takes away the charm of the imagination. Becoming a good travel photographer means having a good education starting from school, read a lot, learn languages, be very attentive and sensitive to the world outside and many other things…

Gmb Akash: You went for six times to India, to end the anthropological-spiritual recognition, presented during the end of 2002, with extension “Mother India” for Emergency. Please share us your experience how you start the project & your accomplishments regarding it.

Gaetano Plasmati: I love India and I returned there several times, sometimes as a tour leader. I was 21 years old when I visited India for the first time and it was unforgettable experience!I felt I fell in love with incredible country and its people and I’ve been keeping this feeling in my heart for many years. I think it was a real start of my project devoted to India. I called it “Mother India” because I have grown professionally and personally as a man. This country helped me to reveal my potential, my energy, raised my spirit and stimulated my senses. I felt and still feel myself as one of the son of this amazing land. Every time I arrived to India I was surprised, amazed, scared or excited, but never had I remained indifferent. I decided complete my journeys with a photo exhibition in favour of Emergency, an Italian independent and neutral organization, founded to provide high quality and free of charge health care to the war and poverty victims. Also I tried to collect money for Emergency selling my photo calendar.

Few times I organized workshops for children in Dharavi (Mumbai), in one of the largest slums in the world. Photography for me is not only a profession or vocation also it is a kind of joke. I spent a great time there with a few hundreds of children teaching them to take pictures, talking, joking and just making fun! After, we had an exhibition of photographs that were taken by little friends.

Right now I think I have to give back to this country all my love and gratitude in return.

Gmb Akash: Traditions, popular celebrations, cultural manifestation became your documentation goals. Also you are theatre, jazz music and classic and adverting photographer. How could you as a photographer work on such versatility to easily focus on different topic with your project? What influence you for selecting topic for your project?

Gaetano Plasmati: I’ve studied at a music school for many years. It gave me an education in classical music, jazz, and other genres. Travelling revealed to me a magic of world music. For many of my photographic stories I use music as a theme. The latest are “Buena Vista Social Club” in Cuba, dances and music of Woodabe in Niger or the Dogon in Mali, The Theatre of Kathakali in India. Many of my photographs were used for CD covers for local theatres and musicians.

I always pay attention to all kind of news and events not only in my land, but also in all Italy and in the world. I read a lot, watch many movies, meet with people and this helps me to imagine new stories.

It is not easy to work in many genres and to focus on many subjects, but I manage to do this, because I’m very persistent and curious for everything new. I’m an open-minded person and I’m always looking for new opportunities and subjects for my projects. But always I work in reportage style both for travel photography and for wedding photos. I like to take spontaneous images, catch the moment.

Gmb Akash: Share your experiences on Wedding photography. Besides doing reportage on many significant social/cultural issues you are an outstanding wedding photographer. Why you are doing wedding photography & how you are keeping yourself special by creating wedding photographs as informative & thematic.

Gaetano Plasmati: I started taking wedding photographs for some friends. I did not have any special skills in this style of photography. I’ve been always thinking it was a very static work, too many portraits in one day with many emotions. I thought that the reportage style in wedding photography could be an easy solution for enjoyment of this unique day. I just follow my style and my passion; never have I looked what others do. I try to show human emotions and reflect those special moments in my photos. It is a little bit difficult to explain people the “language” of photography. Some of them don’t like to see their relatives crying or sad on the photos. More and more people try to escape from daily life problems and bad sensations and ask me to take photos of happy faces only or don’t take b&w images. And I try to explain that the reportage style in wedding photography gives more emotions for the photo; make it more natural and therefore unique. I feel myself very happy if I see my clients emotive when they look at the wedding photos and experience that moments of joy again and again.

Gmb Akash: You are the curator of the Porta Pepice Gallery in Matera, Italy, and publisher and editor of Intransit Magazine. Give us some background information on how & what influence you to start your magazine “Intransit magazine”?

Gaetano Plasmati: I decided to open a photo gallery because I wanted to give a proper value to photography and photographers, to raise the culture of visual perception for the people. I was tired of showing my photos in some local restaurants and other unsuitable places. It is difficult in a city where there aren’t photo galleries to build everything alone. It takes time and much energy … and of course finances. I always imagined a place where you can talk about photography, travels, books, images of the photographers; arrange meetings of travellers, exchange experiences. I think that sharing experience with others is a way to improve ourselves. After some time passed I considered the idea of setting up of a photo magazine to develop all these photo stories. It is called “Intransit”, a quarterly editorial project about travelling and photo reportages. Again, to be a photographer today and especially in the places where the professional culture is undervalued is not easy. A bad policy does not work on quality. The photo magazine with the help of the Internet today is also available online. Now I’m thinking over idea of creating a small editorial staff for the Intransit.

Gmb Akash: For creating new project or series what priorities a photographer need to keep in mind to survive with his project in the competitive field of photography?

Gaetano Plasmati: Being a photographer is one of the best and most interesting profession, but also one of the most difficult. First of all, follow your own nature. Being a photographer means to go outside, to see people and places, to travel, sometimes far away from home, learn languages, invent fascinating stories and study all the time and improve oneself. But nobody teaches how to survive in daily and professional life.

Everyone talks about workshops, awards, exhibitions, but no one tells you how difficult it is to remain a competitive photographer. Invent stories, involving the readers, have your website up to date, follow the new media, try to test your limits, don’t ask, be curious and creative. Always believe in yourself and in your ideas. There are always many features for a good photographer. In the end, perhaps, little lucks. I am currently working on the problems of desertification in the Sahara and on other environmental problems after disaster in Japan and planning many other projects. We must also admit that it’s hard to travel and have so many projects. Magazines and agencies are suffering with online news. People buy paper less, all information is available on the web sites in Internet. We need to change quickly, be more versatile and flexible in the work.

Gmb Akash: A brief paragraph on “One day Journey with photographer Gaetano Plasmati”?

Gaetano Plasmati: I always recommend lightweight camera equipment, but my bag is always more heavier. J I use Nikon D700 and a few Nikon lenses: 24 mm f/ 2.8, 37-70/2.8, 50mm f/1.8 D, Zoom-Nikkor 80-200 mm F/2.8, 105mm f/2.8. I prefer to use the flash very little. In the past I was an athlete and this allows me to have a good resistance and good adaptation to any situation. I think I have a good ability easily becoming friends with unknown people, it is our nature as southern Italians.

If I travel in some places like Sahara desert, Mali, Tibet usually I hire a local guide who shows me the right way and helps to communicate with locals. Also it is important to remember about many restrictions and rules before you are going to visit any country, because in some of them it is forbidden to take pictures or visit some places.

Very often I take wedding photos in different unknown places so before photo-shoot I study the area and venue. I prefer to work alone and I don’t use any additional equipment only my camera and lenses, sometimes a flash. And I like the natural lighting.

I’m not a good businessman and I never took a photo if that could damage the person in front of me.

Gmb Akash: In your opinion how could a photographer continually create his works to survive in the competitive field of photography & can manage to keep himself/herself into the focus of his concentration area.

Gaetano Plasmati: Keeping your own style and satisfy the customers is a difficult challenge, but not impossible. Today the advent of digital equipment creates a lot of competition for everyone even for non-professionals and it is also very confusing. Everyone knows everything. But this also applies to any field of our life. Creating your own style, ideas and making your customers feel themselves satisfied all the time is a real secret. It takes many years to make a career, after it becomes much easier. Also some compromises must be found as well.

A master rule is – to keep the passion for work inside and trust in you.

Gmb Akash: We request you to give message for photographers, shortly we want to receive few of your secret that you want to pass.

Gaetano Plasmati: The secret is that we always should believe in our dreams. May it sound like a phrase from a book. Reaching a goal every day is the easiest thing. Constantly, without pause, having patience and being humble. Look back after a while and you will see how far it has moved.

I like the words of Herman Hesse: “One can be happy when he finds his dream, but every dream has to be followed by a new one and you can’t capture any of them forever”.

Gaetano Plasmati is continually focusing more work of art & photography in his Gallery & Magazine. You can discover more of Geotano’s work on his personal website: www.gaetanoplasmati.com,

www.galleriaportapepice.com & in his magazine www.intransit.it

“Gaetano Plasmati a photographer who can explore his passion in form of creating different photographs by focusing on different topic. His all photographs creates new dimension to pursue. In the competitive creative world of photography his simple rules could make paths of opportunities to discover & create arts in new form. His inspiration as footsteps remain striking to follow“–

Gmb Akash

Born to work – A Battle of a “Survivor”

“Survivors” depicts the invincibility of the human spirit to survive against all odds. People who live on the edges of society have had a big impact on me and have been a great inspiration to me as a person and in my career. The existing social hierarchies have made me realize that those who live at the lowest rank on the economic ladder are the true survivors. These people are deprived of even the basic necessities of life, yet they manage to live each day with a smile on their faces. As a photographer I feel it is my task to show the world those unseen realities and to shed light on what most of us never see with our own eyes.

I have been doing my project “Survivors” for the last 10 years. In these years I tried to bring changes in some lives. But now, I moves to work on it highly by bringing the project “Survivors” in light. & lend hands to some miserable souls. Munna is one of them. Here I am revealing life & straggle of Munna – which many of you may never seen but heard many times, which many of you may imagine but never feel. Welcome to the world of a – little soldier ‘Munna’

“Born to work – A Battle of a Survivor”, First video made by me & a documentation on ‘Munna’ from the project ‘Survivors’.

‘Integrity with innocence’ this is the concrete of Munna’s character portrayal. Five years ago I first met Munna, he was same like now. He was a seven years old shy boy who never complains to anyone. At the age of five he comes to the factory. Two years he did nothing & got no money. At the age of seven, he learns & starts working. When I took his first picture his hands remarks his experiences.

Five years have passed fates of Munna & his father brings no change in their lives. Only difference is, with his five years experience Munna is getting 1600 taka ($1=72taka) per month. Moreover 12 years old Munna is running his younger sister education with his extra income of Friday overtime. His dreams confine to get more experience of hard work & made a big factory. He dreams to give good food to his family, he dreams to take them in a better place. The boy speak too less, stand always like a shadow. Whenever I took picture of him, he tried to clean his torn cloths as well hide torn areas. These little doings, little words earn respect.

20 years ago Munna’s family had come to Dhaka for better living. Time never brings any happiness in their lives. By a little donation Munna’s father bought shoe sewing materials & now he is working as cobbler. They pray that rainy season may never come. As people does not come to do shoe polish in rain time. Munna & his family are surviving in the race of life.

Like Munna around 7 million children are straggling in our country. May be it is difficult but not impossible to give hope to these 7 million children. If only every capable person lend their hands for one family.

My project “Survivors” aims to help Munna & his family. This project designed to help ten families from ten backgrounds. By little collection – a fund will hand over to Munna & his father. Munna’s father will utilize it for lifting their fates. 25% of the selling price of my book “Survivors” will give to these kinds of 10 selected families. You all are invited to stand beside Munna. Won’t you lend your hands? If your heart is moved to do so please visit “Survivors” by Gmb Akash at : http://emphas.is

“Our little help, little words, little recommendations could bring light in some dark places of this earth. ” Gmb Akash

‘A Hope to See’

Stepping inside the Geta Eye hospital automatically you will close your eyes. Blind people all around you will be circling everywhere, all gathered here with only a hope – Hope to see! Moaning of blind people who are resting in fields will take you in the city of blinds. Then when you will enter in the main building of the hospital you will see a tireless world of doctors and their patience of serving, to give their best to give back patient’s sight. I spent seven days in Geta eye hospital and experience the soreness of being unable to see. I discover the happiness to seeing again. I understand the value of belief!

Before setting in these benches these cataract patients have passed days and nights in the open air of hospital field. After traveling far distant, getting accommodated in the field and having went though all obstacles they keep their hope alive till the final operation. Today they are waiting for the doctor’s call to open their bandages and hoping to see the world again. Nepal © GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

Every day a long queue and big crowd engage doctors of Geta eye hospital. Dr. Bidya examined patient eyes who admitted for cataract operation. Nepal © GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

Cataract and trachoma have emerged as prominent among eye diseases in Nepal and India. Cataract is the main cause of blindness in Nepal and India. In many parts of the country, lack of awareness and ignorance about any eye disease is still widespread where people take it as a curse of god or sin of previous birth, and very often, they turn to local spiritual healers for cure in such a situation instead of getting timely medical treatment in the hospital.

All cataract patients wait for days and nights in the hope for a call from doctor. Doctors can never relax here within the crowd of patients and for the hope to return their eye sight. Every day hundreds of patients making queue and enter into the hospital. Sometimes it seems like a big crowd is going to attend a picnic where the truth is those are gathering of blind people in hope for their eye sight.

36,000 new cases every year are being added to the number while over three hundred thousand people are found to have suffered from eye diseases of one or the other sort. Ninety percent of eye patients in Nepal live in rural areas where people still do not go to hospital for treatment on time whenever something goes wrong with their eyes. As most of the people in rural areas are farmers by profession, they are quite exposed to the risk of getting their eyes pierced or hurt any time.

The patient getting the treatment on the hospital bed came from Uttar prodesh. Cheaper and reliable treatment gives them hope to gain back the power of eye sight. Nepal © GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

A cataract patient is lying under the tree outside the hospital. Hospital can not accommodate all the patients, so lot of patients have to sleep under open sky in the cold winter. Nepal © GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

Every year thousand of Cataract patients come to Nepal from India. Purpose is eye surgery. Most of the patients are coming from Uttar Pradesh India. They have to travel 24 hours to arrive in the Geta eye hospital. Only for the cheap and reliable treatment they stayed in the open field sometimes even one week. The whole day and night patients are coming from India. When the weather permits the patients to travel over 400 cataracts patients enter into the door per day from all over India and Nepal

Ram Lal (45) is one the cataract patient from Uttar Prodesh, India. He said in India eye treatment is expensive and not proper enough. He has traveled seven days, collected money last one year to get treatment from Geta eye Hospital, Nepal. All he did to get back light of his eyes. Nepal © GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

To see the light she traveled five days from her villages and after spending three days outside in the hospital the young girl got the bed. She already overcomes distance, crowd of patients & many other barriers to get the seat in this bed. Nepal © GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

When I was interviewing patients they happily replied that they do not think this as trouble to reach to the hospital. They only believe miracles happens here, they will leave Nepal with power of seeing. Patients who came from Uttar Pradesh India have traveled by bus and train. They have crossed the bridge over the border river – and then to squeeze into a Nepalese minibus. In a forest outside the town of Dhangadhi in Nepal to reach to Geta eye hospital.

This old lady had her operation. She have traveled long and came from uttar prodesh, India. After sleeping in the open field and after passing painful days now she is waiting eagerly for opening the bandage. All these pains & sufferings are little in front of the eagerness to open the final bandage. Nepal © GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

A cataract patient lying on the ground comes back from the operation theater. She is basking in the sun. Long time waiting, lying in open air & many other obstacles were not their concern. All of them want to see light in the minimum cost even if they have to come to another country after conquering all obstacles. Nepal © GMB Akash / www.gmb-akash.com

In these seven days of working I experienced the joy of people when they get back their eye sight. I saw hundred blinds and severely visually impaired people every day drifting through a large white painted gate. The place is the same in a forest area near by the Nepali-Indian border. Few see a bit on one eye, others do not see at all. They were stepping cautiously and were lead – by a spouse, a son, a grandson. After the operation magically they walk out again, without help. And leave the hospital with a wide smile on their faces.

“Untold Stories” Part II

Habitually I take my camera, leave my place and lost for long time. These unpredictable journeys never tire me. In searching of stories I traveled miles after miles, I reached many unexpected places by unplanned ways.

Location was India, a mountain near a coal mine. I was not even thinking another terrible accident was waiting for me.

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

My main focus was low-income people; I find out these poor people who were going back to the coal mine early in the morning. They went for stealing coal & later sell in local market. Next morning I followed them quietly. I experienced they carried these heavy basket full of coals 3 to 4 kilometers from mountain. They were bare foot most were children/female from poorest families.

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

When I reached to the top of the mountain I could not miss the chance to take photos of those workers, who were working in coal mine. One of my friend was just beside me and poked me to skip from there. Just after few minutes suddenly three men came in the place. Then hold me & my camera tightly, caught my friend as well.

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

Those men were trying to throw me from the mountain, was scratching me to take the camera but I hold it tightly. I was literally scared but asked them to take me to their boss. They dragged me down, tore my shirt into two parts, hit my shoulders and kicked in my knee. They were dragging me to their boos which is around one & half kilometer. In the meantime of their kicks, I have changed my memory card of the images.

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

When I meet their angry boss, I managed to tell him that I am a tourist. My hobby is photography, I took picture as in Bangladesh there is no coal mine like this. He took out my cf card and threw to a drain. I said sorry to him, bribe some money and he let me free. I was so scared, their people followed me long. When I returned to the hotel I got sick for few days. But you can not blame a photographer’s blood. I go back again in my next tour and be careful to take pictures that time.

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

These images are stories of my own experiences. I am writing tours of my life. These journeys invite me in territories I never dream evem. Sometimes I run to save myself, sometimes I take ride in the top of the roof of the train, or I sleep in the flooded floor of village hut, I swim, I hang on, and above all I meet those souls. These adventures invites dangers. But after reaching to those people, getting permission to enter to their private door all my hard work and risks become worthy.

“Untold Stories” Part I

My identity is my photography. From the crowd of photographers, I am one who determine to dedicate everything in photography. I could never think a day will come when photography will be only reason to live my life! In my surroundings & the place I brought up no one can ever thought a boy can devote him for photography. In my environs and in the space I was brought up in no one ever thought a boy can dedicate himself for photography. Throughout my childhood I did not have access to photographers, their work, or even a camera. Photography did not exist for me in theory or in practice. I held my father’s old camera and started taking pictures unconsciously in 1997. Since then I have not stopped clicking for a single day. Every day, in every angle, in every corner of my world I keep capturing those miserable souls and kept them in heart of my camera.

“Bravery” is the most unexpected power of these children. They work 1 0hrs and more having no protection, no appreciation, no admiration but with a wide smile in their faces. In the resting time, when I took photos I asked them what they will become in future. They randomly said they want to be Doctor, engineer, pilot! I lost my words! They do not even know, the work they are doing will never take them in any of these designation they are dreaming for. One boy from them look at me and said, ‘I will be a photographer like you, will take picture when my boss beats my friend’. I use to close my eyes often in between the conversation.

When I was leaving the working place of children, I ask them what they want to eat. For them bread is the most delicious food. When I back from the place my soul left heavy. After I got Vevey International photography grants in 2010, with some money I bought new dresses and went to them. Happy faces of 65 children, their shouts, their joys, their hugs I even can feel now when I am writing. I could not resist tears for giving them these simple cloths and after receiving their unconditional love makes me so much small.

18 months old Khadeja was suffering from diarrhea in Rayer Bazar slum. Her parents kept her under the sun to ironically cure her. Her condition was bad & malnutrition made it worst. Her parents were no where found near to ask the explanation.

Women protect themselves from the rain at a tea plantation where they work near the village of Elkaduwa. Tea is one of the country’s main export crops. sri lanka, Matale District

“It was rainy season. Female workers of Srilanka were rushing to their work place. I was rushing with them. These ladies were bare foots, clothes were thin. I was wondering how whole day they will work. Suddenly I felt something beating near my knee. I ignored and keep clicking. When I could not bear any more I hurried back to my hotel. I found louse beating. It was bleeding, and I got sick. When I was suffering from pain I recall those ladies who were bare foots & thus they works everyday!”

My friends started calling me “Hijra” Undoubtedly it was shocking for me but I didn’t stop working on trans-genders. It was way too distance to reach as nobody worked before me on this community. It took years to get entry to their door. I patiently keep trying. Mixed with them, talked to them, took gift for them. I tried to understand the basics of their lives. Their ways of life makes them strange characters and granted as alien in the society. Instead of getting warmth from the society, they receive hatred and contempt. Few among them were forced to leave school because of their classmates’ negative attitude towards their feminine behaviors. Their lack of education has so far deprived them of information and any scope of communication with trans-genders all over the world. So they confine themselves to their own small community. They engage themselves in merriment, singing, dancing and thereby hiding their struggles and worries in laughter. After several years of working, I go to the depth of their lives. People laugh at me, make fun of me. But when I meet with them their warmth of admiration give me the courage to depict them in my frame.

In district hospital Accham every day people come to get treatment for HIV. To reach in this remote hospital I have to travel several days. Even people who come for treatment walk two days or more. In those villages you can hardly find male member of the family. In every family some one died in this disease. They have no work there, so they go to India for long time. They bring HIV unconsciously when they come back. Even some ladies come to know that they are HIV positive after of their husband’s death. Their painful stories of surviving could hardly reach to the top.

15 year old Masura Begum at the Fistula Treatment Centre in the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Masura developed a fistula after an unsuccessful abortion operation was carried out after she was raped. Over 71,000 women live with fistula in Bangladesh, with the World Health Organisation estimating over 2.5 million cases worldwide. The UNFPA have trained 45 doctors and 30 nurses to treat the disability at the centre in Dhaka. Obstetric fistula, which can occur after days of obstructed labour, is both treatable and preventable, yet it carries with it a huge stigma, and can have devastating consequences, usually killing the baby and leaving the woman with chronic incontinence. Dhaka

Liza is an old sex worker in Tangail brothel. In early childhood her step mother sold her to the brothel. She forgot their name, faces & even where she born. She admire when some one took her photo. When I was taking her photo & listen to her story, this hard hearted lady broke out in tears. She lost her young age, clients hardly come to her. She has no one, without this brothel she has no place to go. Now she works as maid for other sex workers. She was crying in thought of why god punishes her this way. She lost her childhood, she never got love in her life now in old age she has to rotten in this brothel. That time first I thought of buying sewing machines for these kinds of old sex workers. At least they could find a self respect at the end of their lives!

“I am working on old home past many years. “Kontinente” a German magazine published my work on Nepal old home. That old home even did not have sources to give two times food to those old inhabitants. After knowing the fact many people come forward to help them. We raised sufficient fund through mother Teresa Home. When a mother said “I waits for you my child as just like I waits for my son” I feel little. We still keep working for all those great hearts”

“I am in an endless journey towards an infinite route, only to find a real world of humanity. This thirst is eternal. I will keep walking, touching every face I meet by my lens. I will show the world – those unknown stories of sufferings. If a single hand comes to give them a shade then that is the real honor of my sweat” – Gmb Akash

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