A woman collects tobacco leaves for processing as she earn less than 4 US$ a day in Bandarban, Bangladesh on March 2, 2020. A total of 2154 hectares land used for tobacco plating in the hilly area in Bangladesh in the season of 2020. Tobacco harvesting is vastly increasing day by day across the country.
Lucky, a 12-year-old laborer, is harvesting tobacco leaves. She is sweating under the scorching sun. Many children her age are going to school, but she is deprived of education. "My mother is ill, that is why I have to work to support my family," Lucky said. She earns only Tk200 after a tiring workday. Just like Lucky, many other girls her age are bound to work, instead of going to school. Bandarban – popular travel destination for Bangladeshis – has also become an epicenter of tobacco farming. The poison of tobacco has swept away arable lands of the hill tracts. A total of 2154 hectares of land are used for tobacco plating, with 1404 hectares in Bandarban alone. "What else will I do if I don't work at the tobacco field?" Buddha Devi said sentimentally. "I get Tk250 every day. It's not sufficient to support my family." "We want the government to raise our pay," she demanded. Live Devi, thousands of women are working in tobacco fields as many of them affected by disease due to tobacco harvesting. Thousands of travelers swarm at Bandarban to enjoy the scenic beauty of Bandarban. Sadly, this green heaven of nature is being poisoned by tobacco.
Size: 6159px × 4106px
Location: Bandarban, Bangladesh
Photo credit: © Rehman Asad / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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