Mohammad Rakibul Hasan
The Vanishing Childhood follows Mohammad Saown, a teenage boy from the flood-prone haor wetlands of Nikli, Bangladesh. His life changes when intensifying monsoon rains and flash floods destroy his family’s farmland and livelihood. Forced to migrate, they join thousands seeking work in the brickfields of Narayanganj.
Amid smoke, dust, and heat, Saown spends his days stacking bricks instead of attending school. His story reflects a wider reality in Bangladesh’s haor communities, where recurring floods threaten rice cultivation, deepen poverty, and drive migration to urban brick kilns.
The film captures the human cost of climate displacement, fractured families, exploitation, and communities caught in cycles of vulnerability, while moments of resilience and dignity persist.
The Vanishing Childhood is both an intimate portrait and a reflection on climate injustice, calling for action through improved flood management, diversified livelihoods, and stronger social protection.
The Climate Migrant, 2022, Satkhira, Bangladesh.
A fisherman’s family migrates from Satkhira to Narayanganj to work in a brick factory. Many climate-affected families take up labour in brickfields or rickshaw pulling in cities to support relatives in their villages. Seasonal and permanent migration continues to rise due to climate change.
Fishing communities report declining species, linked to silting rivers, changing temperatures, and earlier flooding. In response, people sell labour, migrate, and borrow money. Rising unemployment follows as agricultural land becomes scarce.
Shrimp farming, though less labour-intensive, has expanded in coastal areas. Some migrate to wealthier regions, while others depend on the Sundarbans, though its capacity is limited. As a major export industry, shrimp farming is also threatened by increasing salinity.
Over recent decades, it has expanded into agricultural land, often through illegal salinity channels, causing long-term soil degradation and ecosystem loss. The use of chemicals and antibiotics in intensive production accelerates environmental decline in coastal Bangladesh.
Thirst on the Saline Land, 2022, Satkhira, Bangladesh.
Climate change disproportionately affects women and children, increasing vulnerabilities in health, food, water, and sanitation. In Bangladesh, hazards such as cyclones and rising sea levels heighten risks of disease, malnutrition, displacement, and abuse, alongside challenges like trafficking and loss of education.
Rural women, central to agriculture, are directly affected when disasters disrupt livelihoods and food systems. In coastal areas, groundwater salinity has reduced access to safe drinking water, forcing women and children to travel long, often dangerous distances.
Recurring cyclones, water scarcity, and food shortages place further strain on daily life. As a result, school dropouts and child marriages are increasing, while malnutrition and illness hinder education.
Major disasters such as Cyclones Sidr and Aila have destroyed schools and infrastructure, particularly near the Sundarbans, highlighting the urgent need for climate action.
The Luncheon, 2022, Satkhira, Bangladesh.
Four fishermen’s families bring their remaining food to the table on an island near the Sundarbans, where life is shaped by harsh and shifting conditions. River erosion constantly reshapes the land, cyclones arrive annually, and displacement is repeated. Climate change, combined with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, further erodes already fragile livelihoods.
Bangladesh, is highly exposed to global warming. Increasing cyclones and tidal surges affect its coastal regions, where millions depend on the sea for survival. Rising sea levels threaten to submerge low-lying areas, while extreme weather events intensify the crisis.
Salinity intrusion is spreading inland, reaching up to 240 kilometres during dry seasons, as upstream water flow decreases. This has reduced agricultural productivity and limited crop diversity.
Shrimp farming, which relies on trapping seawater in fields, also contributes to soil salinisation. Species are unable to adapt to higher salinity, tolerant vegetation begins to dominate, signalling a shifting ecosystem.
The Climate Talk, 2024, Sundarbans Mangrove Forest Area, Satkhira, Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is often seen as a frontline victim of global warming, with inhabitants of the Sundarbans seeking international attention. The Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, spans 140,000 hectares across the delta formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers. Mostly in Bangladesh, with parts in India, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site hosting around 260 bird species, the Royal Bengal Tiger, and endangered species such as the estuarine crocodile and Indian python.
Climate change is affecting agriculture, contributing to food insecurity. Women, especially pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, face malnutrition and health risks. Biomass fuel use in poorly ventilated homes, combined with saline air, increases respiratory disease. Saline drinking water is linked to hypertension and cardiovascular illness.
An integrated response is needed across water, healthcare, nutrition, and education. Projections suggest up to 70% of the Sundarbans could be submerged by 2100, leading to land loss and mass displacement.
The Vanishing Childhood, 2025, Narayanganj, Bangladesh
The Vanishing Childhood follows Mohammad Saown, a teenage boy from the flood-prone haor wetlands of Nikli, Bangladesh. His life changes when intensifying monsoon rains and flash floods destroy his family’s farmland and livelihood. Forced to migrate, they join thousands seeking work in the brickfields of Narayanganj.
Amid smoke, dust, and heat, Saown spends his days stacking bricks instead of attending school. His story reflects a wider reality in Bangladesh’s haor communities, where recurring floods threaten rice cultivation, deepen poverty, and drive migration to urban brick kilns.
The film captures the human cost of climate displacement, fractured families, exploitation, and communities caught in cycles of vulnerability, while moments of resilience and dignity persist.
The Vanishing Childhood is both an intimate portrait and a reflection on climate injustice, calling for action through improved flood management, diversified livelihoods, and stronger social protection.