Bangladesh is beautiful, but naturally destructive. The river Jammuna is encroaching fast and may wipe out “Chandan Bashya". I left Gazi Nafis and Mahbub Shumon to document the tragedy & hardship, when I noticed several boys fishing in an indigenous way (which I have never seen before) They were crouched like frogs near the edge of precariously held ledges of river bank which is certain to be devoured by the river. When? - is the moment. Meanwhile Ripon, Afsar, Al-Amin and others were guiding the fishes by throwing pellets of clay (dhal) to lure the fish to cross near the banks where they have set their net. At times when they swear at the fishes edging out of their traps, the naivety of the innocent boyhood of the village children echoes the sentiment of Poet Jashimuddin.
While my image captures the sequence of this very indigenous way of catching fish, I have also tried to capture the essence of this very boyhood of the poet - the proudness of their posture, the sporting competitiveness, the seriousness of their baiting and the patience of their waiting. And probably - somewhere in the back of their mind the danger and the consequence of fast encroaching of Jammuna on their livelihood may have wilted the Joy on their faces.
Location: Chandan Bashya. Bogra
Footnote: People all over Bangladesh (in my experience) expects us to solve their problem. A noble idea. Unfortunately a camera has its limitation but the general population always can mandate a solution.
