TITLE: IN THE BRICKFIELDS OF DHAKA

You can see them everywhere in Bangladesh. There are hundreds of them. Some say more than 15’000. The high chimneys along the rivers and cities pouring grey smoke into the air. Millions of bricks are burned there. But the price is high and paid by the local and from far coming workers and the environment surrounded by those factories.

Bangladesh is a rapidly urbanizing country with a 163 million population. This generates a high demand for cheap building materials and gave brickmaking a thrive. Starting up a business with a small piece of land costs about $6000. It’s a good business, so you can get 5 times the investment back a year.

Brick kilns are responsible for 58% of air pollution in the capital. Plans have been taken to shut traditional kilns currently in operation all over the country. “We’re working to produce eco-friendly bricks,” said Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin lately. He said the government plans to stop burning bricks at kilns by 2025 and use block bricks to construct buildings under government projects.

AUTHOR: Josef Buergi (Switzerland)

Born in 1965 in Berne, Switzerland, Joe Buergi started around 2000 with photography. He studied Engineering and works for the public sector. As a pure autodidact he developed the knowledge by himself, but also studying the masters. His music photography, together with travel, have become two of his life’s passions. His photography focuses on culture, landscapes and wildlife; images which reflect a spatial and temporal journey through life. He seeks the quite moments and the light in whatever context he finds himself. He is an eclectic photographer who enjoys diversity in his imagery. Hence his images range from travel to landscapes and portraits. He believes that photography can capture those inimitable moments and empower us to make a positive change in our world.