Tattered and torn bank notes can be easily exchanged for new ones even outside commercial banks for a certain amount of commission. This is a common practice on the busy streets in the Gulistan area of the capital where men, who have been in this business for over 25 years, openly exchange the damaged bank notes for a charge of 10% commission.

Nobody from the Bangladesh Bank Authority can avoid the responsibility to take proper steps to stop such type of illegal business.

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DrikNEWS, an independent body of Drik Picture Library, aims to cover news photography and investigative reporting by disseminating both locally and internationally through the web.

We are not respected by anyone because we are sweepers. But in truth we are not sweepers; we should be called CLEANERS- Joshna Rani Das.

Residing in a ‘sweepers’ colony’ at Tikatoly, Dhaka many like Joshna Rani give vent to years’ of suppressed emotions. This colony, a five storied building, alone houses nearly 210 families. With an ancestry which can be traced back to Kanpur, India, the residents of today’s sweeper’s colony had migrated to Bangladesh more than 300 years ago with hopes of finding a better prospect of life through good jobs. However, the colonial British government channelled them into the trade of sweepers. Since then this has been their profession. Today they work as cleaners for Dhaka City Corporation. Life at the sweeper’s colony is really eventful with non-stop activities—while some prepare to go out to work others return from it. With different work schedules the colony never seems to sleep. Superimposed on this is the myth concerning their negative social role, cultural and religious activities which alienate them in the social context. In fact theirs is a segregated world with a strong social taboo against the inmates. In plain words, mistrusted and misjudged by most people they are regarded as social outcasts.

A fact that is evident from the words of Rajesh, a graduate who has recently completed his IELTS exam:

Please don’t take my photo; if the photo is published I will have to face lots of problems with my friends and the people who know me outside this colony.

Taboo or not these people are part of our society and their contributions over the years cannot be denied. Their necessity cannot be denied even in this age and time. All they require of us is what they rightfully deserve in return for their services: acknowledgement, appreciation and above all respect.

Sweepers have no retirement age no matter how old he or she is. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. April 27 2007,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

A new born baby is by birth a sweeper because the baby is born into sweeper family and must carry on the family tradition. There are very few who can manage to change their profession. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. March 27 2008 ,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

In spite of their financial limitations the residents of the sweeper colony try their utmost to contribute to all kinds of rituals and festivals. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. February 11 2007,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

Pets are great favourites among most of the families. In leisure time they play with animals as a means of entertainment. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. February 11 2007,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

"Darkness has been the most dominant feature of my life. For me the light at the end of the tunnel has always been far from accessible," Pallamma sums up her struggles for survival after her husband's death. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. April 27 2007,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

Common washing space for all sweepers: bath, wash, household cleaning, every thing in a common space. In this colony there are a total of four wash spaces like this one for the needs of all the families. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. December 15 2006,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

Women immersed in buying trinkets and jewelries from street sellers. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. April 08 2008,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

Food for pets is always available even though the family is running short on sustenance. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. March 10 2008,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

Living spaces in the colony is so limited and congested that in most cases to avoid congestion people have to use public spaces for their personal work. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. May 30 2008,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

A common space where the residents of the colony wash their dishes and takes bath. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. April 11 2008,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

Mother feed her child. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. April 18 2008.Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

Due to lacking of playground the children of this colony play in the congested balcony of the building. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. March 27 2008,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

In this colony they have no facilities for health treatment especially for the old and the young. To avail these facilities from outside is often too expensive. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. April 22 2008.Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

Dove breeding is a common hobby of many members of the colony. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. April 25 2008,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

‘Holi’- children rejoice themselves. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. March 27 2008,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

Sound pollution even during the night time is a dominant problem for these colony dwellers. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. April 25 2008,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

They have to marry within their own communities. Choices from outside the community lead to ostracization of the couple and their families. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. February 13 2008,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

Children of the colonies involved in their juvenile games. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. May 08 2008,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS

With the passage of time the question that confronts this boy and other members of his generation is as complex as to be or not to be. Should they follow the trade of their forefathers or will society accept them in any other profession? Tikatoly, Dhaka, Bangladesh. May 21 2007,Photo:Amdadul Huq/*Drik*NEWS.

Rice shop at Kawran Bazar. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo-Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Alma earns Taka 2000 to 2500 per day by begging. However, she has to pay 700 taka per month as house rent. Since her husband’s death seven years ago she says she is helpless with her nine years-old physically handicapped boy Almas. These recent days have been very difficult for her since she can neither manage food, house rent nor buy medicine for her ill child. She says she has heard that the government has special allowance for disabled children and she has been trying to enlist her son’s name with the local chairman who has continuously refused her request. Kamrangirchar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Mafizur Rahman, who was once a carpenter, cannot work since his accident caused by a truck. His eldest son is the sole breadwinner of a family of seven. As his son is a day laborer even there are days he cannot earn a single penny. His monthly income varies from 2000 to 3500 taka per month and with a house rent of 700 taka per month it has now become impossible to survive when rice costs taka 35 to 50 per kilogram. Kamrangirchar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

After a long time Shakil has come to visit his grandmother’s house where his mother Salma used to rear goats. But over the last few months the price of goat food has doubled reduces scope for profit. The income from this source is also gradually dwindling.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Dal at a grocer’s shop at Kawran Bazar. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik/NEWS.  

“Tell the government to kill us. Rice costs 50 taka and news reports yesterday stated that it is soon going to be 70!” mourns Fulbanu, who has to support her family of seven members with taka 4500 per month. Dholpur , Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Mohammad Amirul Islam a forty five years old rickshaw puller earns about 6000 taka per month. He could have earned more if he didnÂ’t have to pay more money to the rickshaw owner on the pretext of recent price hike. Once he had planned to own his own rickshaw but now that is only wishful thinking as he faces trouble in maintaining his family with only his limited income. Kamrangirchar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Minara begum (40) works in a day care centre in a slum. Her husband pulls rickshaw and together they earn seven thousand taka per month. But what with the house rent and other expenses it has become impossible for them to stay in this city with such a high price of daily necessities. Price of daily necessities is increasing but not their income. Dholpur, Dhaka , Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Oil shop at Kawran Bazar.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Asma (35) pays 3800 taka for her one room. Her husband Sultan Molla (now admitted in a hospital) used to work as a driver of a private car. Her elder son earns the same as his father (7000 taka per month). Asma says she has not been able to pay tuition fees of her children for the last two months. She has already borrowed some money from her neighbors. Sukrabad, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

Rashida Begum (45) sells tea and other groceries in a temporary roadside shop. “The money I earn from this shop is not enough. If I buy rice then I find I have no money to buy vegetables. In the past even during our worst days we did not face such problems. At least we could buy rice and some vegetables then.” Rashida earns 6000 to 7000 taka per month. She has to pay 2800 taka for house rent which has increased in the last two months on the pretext of increase in prices. With the rest of the income she can not manage either food for the family or medicine for her husband. Sukrabad, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

“Yesterday I went to BDR market to buy rice. I had to wait for five hours only to return empty handed. To save 10 taka per kilo I just lost my five hours which I could have used to earn more,” says Munni, a thirteen years old girl who works in a brush factory to support her family of nine members. Both she and her younger brother Dulal together earn nearly 2000 taka per month. With food as the main item on their budget she cannot even imagine to save money for her paralyzed fathers’ treatment. Kamrangirchar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo- Tanvir Ahmed/*Drik*NEWS.

[Photoblog by Amirul Rajiv.]

[Click any of the thumbnails for a GreyBox show.]

A curfew was declared. Streets were off limit to the public while jeeps and truck-loads of military personnel were coming out of the barracks. Those boots that left the cantonment on January 11, 2007 keep stomping Bangladesh to date, one year on. Shot from a rooftop in Dhaka, first images of a “State of Emergency.” Images that remind us that our streets are no more ours.

[Photo by Amirul Rajiv.]

[Scan courtesy Drishtipat (right).]

[Photo by Banglar Chokh.]

[Photoblog by Amirul Rajiv.]

[Click any of the thumbnails for a GreyBox show.]

[Rezwan, Germany.]

Recently I reported about bloggers reactions on the controversies surrounding an exhibition of the masterpieces of Ganges in Mus

[Photoblog by Amirul Rajiv.]

[Click any of the thumbnails for a GreyBox show.]

He who raised his hand in defiance against the brutal military junta in Bangladesh embossing a slap on the monster’s face will undoubtedly remain our hero for years to come. He who spat at tyrants and refused to give a “confessional statement” when coerced is the rebel with whose photo we present this photoblog.

The E-Bangladesh team is honored and proud that for hours to come our blog will greet our readers with a photo of Manabendra Dev, one of the key organizers of the anti-military junta protests in Dhaka University that erupted two months back. The 25-year-old president of Bangladesh Student Union was picked up by the “joint forces” on September 16 and taken [according to unconfirmed reports from Dhaka] to a secret JIC/DGFI torture chamber in Uttara. Days later he was produced before a court for fresh remand. After the remand period he was again taken to the court where he declined to give any confessional statement in an unprecedented act of defiance.

He, along with hundreds of professors and students of Dhaka and Rajshahi universities, is now behind bars. This is our tribute to the brave heart. This is our tribute to Deen Islam Angel, a Dhaka University student [also imprisoned after a trip to the DGFI torture chamber] who has become the icon of anti-military protests for the famous kick. This is our tribute to Professor Harun-or-Rashid whom the military arrested and later during the night under curfew took back to the Dhaka University campus and forced him to “lick off” the anti-military graffiti on the walls. This photoblog on the Dhaka University protests in August is our tribute to the rebellion lead by Manabendra, Angel and their comrades.

[Photoblog by Amirul Rajiv.]

[Click on any of the thumbnails for a GreyBox show.]

Talk about press freedom under a shariah state, a khilafat, where divinely appointed ulemas will carry out the even more divine task of dictating the public mind. Enter Hizb ut-Tahrir — a global Islamic political party working for the reestablishment of Khilafat — with a sneak preview of how the press will be tackled under the divine rule they staunchly campaign for.

On September 21, thousands of HuT activists — mostly private university students — marched the streets of Dhaka to protest the publication of a cartoon strip in Alpin, satire supplement of Prothom Alo, one of the largest circulating Bengali dailies in Bangladesh. Many Bangladeshi Muslims were offended by the cartoon that attempted to satire the culture of adding