Across Bangladesh, an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 coal-fired brick kilns operate as part of a widespread and largely unregulated industry employing hundreds of thousands of workers. Many workers are seasonal migrants from flood-affected regions, where loss of land and livelihoods drives movement toward kiln work. Child labor remains present within the workforce, with children involved in various stages of production, often working long hours alongside adults.

Brick production takes place through manual processes, with workers shaping, carrying, and firing clay under constant exposure to dust, ash, and smoke. The air within the kilns is dense with airborne particles generated both from handling raw materials and from the burning of coal. The industry is a major contributor to air pollution in the country and is linked to significant respiratory health risks.

This body of work spans multiple kiln sites on the outskirts of Dhaka, Chittagong, and Barisal.
Story has been featured in Social Documentary Network: https://www.socialdocumentary.net/exhibit/Bartlomiej_Rubik/7355