Life at Chittagong Railway Station

Among the thousands that throng the railway station every day, are those who make their homes and some, their livelihoods, in and around the station. They hawk goods, or more often, beg for a living travelling on the trains from station to station. Amidst the hubbub of the arriving and departing trains, they live and sleep on the busy platforms. Children roam around recklessly.

In this ongoing project, I try to portray the life that these people lead. I focus mainly on the people roaming around the station, most of whom have no other place to go. The children in the station are orphans or have neglectful parents and are left unsupervised to roam around the rail tracks. They are vulnerable to drug abuse and to drug peddlers using them for trafficking drugs as well.

I also focus on those who work at the railway station. Many railway station workers and day labourers do not have good working conditions—they are paid poorly and face numerous health and workplace hazards.