Muhammad Amdad Hossain
Bangladesh.
Dhaka was shaped by water. The Buriganga, Turag, Balu, and Shitalakkha rivers once sustained the city’s trade, culture, and daily rhythms. Ghats served as communal spaces where transport, labour, ritual, and recreation converged. Water was not only infrastructure—it was identity.
Today, that relationship has changed. The Buriganga, once the city’s main artery, now carries industrial discharge, untreated sewage, and plastic waste. Wetlands that buffered floods have been replaced by concrete embankments, shipyards, and dense settlements.
Yet life continues along its banks. Boatmen ferry passengers, children bathe, and waste collectors retrieve plastic for resale. Families live and work beside a river that both sustains and endangers them.
River of Death, River of Life documents this coexistence—where environmental decline and economic survival are intertwined—asking what becomes of a city when the ecosystem that shaped it can no longer sustain it. The image underscores a complex reality: environmental degradation generates both crisis and income, binding communities to the very pollution that threatens them.
Polluted Shoreline, 2026, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Plastic waste spreads across the shoreline along the Buriganga River, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 23 January 2026. Layers of discarded packaging and industrial debris blanket the riverbank, burying fragile shoreline ecosystems beneath accumulated refuse. Informal disposal practices and limited waste infrastructure allow debris to settle along tidal edges. The river’s boundary—once a transition between water and land—has become a visible archive of urban consumption and environmental neglect.
Working In Plastic, 2026, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Waste collectors sort and retrieve plastic from the polluted waters of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 23 January 2026. Standing amid floating debris, they gather recyclable materials for resale. Informal waste recovery has become a survival livelihood within the toxic river environment. The image underscores a complex reality: environmental degradation generates both crisis and income, binding communities to the very pollution that threatens them.
Waste Filled Canal, 2025, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
A waste-filled canal connected to the Buriganga River accumulates plastic, household refuse, and industrial discharge in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 9 September 2025. Once part of a natural drainage network, the canal now functions as a secondary dumping ground. During rainfall, accumulated waste flows directly into the main river, compounding pollution levels.
Toxic Oil Surface, 2025, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Oil and chemical residues spread across the polluted surface of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 9 September 2025. Industrial discharge and urban runoff create iridescent patterns that mask toxic contamination beneath. While visually striking, the swirling colours signal chemical stress within the river’s fragile ecosystem. The surface becomes a visible indicator of deeper ecological imbalance.
Boats on Black Water, 2026, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Small wooden boats move across oil-stained, dark water along the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 23 January 2026. Fuel residue from passing vessels and untreated industrial runoff have discoloured the river’s surface, turning it almost black in places. Yet daily crossings persist, carrying passengers and goods through contaminated currents.
Industrial River Bank, 2025, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Shipyards and dense riverside housing expanded along the industrial bank of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 9 September 2025. Steel workshops, dockyards, and informal settlements cluster tightly along the waterfront, intensifying pressure on land and water. Industrial growth continues despite visible environmental decline, reshaping the river into a corridor of production. The landscape reflects rapid urban expansion, where economic activity often outpaces ecological safeguards.