Life of Tannery workers in BANGLADESH

From Europe to America or in Asia. In any grandee shopping mall of the world, your eyes will be stucked by the eye glitzy precious ornaments.But if you look back again with little care, one thing won’t be out of your sight, and that is leather goods. Once it was necessity, now it’ not a mere necessity rather a luxury goods.
In world economy, leather and leather good is a very robust sector. Bangladesh is not no away from it.
Leather processed goods of Bangladesh are now displaying with its pride in luxury shops of Europe and America. Bangladesh is earning 116 crore of US dollar by exporting leather & leather goods to more than 53 countries. Which is more than 3% of total export? This is the third largest foreign exchange earning sector also.

Buyers of the superior leather goods are generally very selective and rich.
It feels nauseous to imagine the disjointing process of leather from flesh and blood. But it can’t refrain us from buying those luxury and fashionable goods.
Though the users of these products are wealthy, the artists or craftsman of leather whatever we call them are not like the ultimate users at all.
Utmost part of their life stories are beyond our acquaintance.
Abdul Jalil is as such of them….

He has spent half of his life in this Tannery. Now he is near about eighty.
In his youth, he put his life into stake in the war of 1971 enthusiast by the evocation of Bangabandhu. Then in 1974, he came across to the capital city Dhaka for seeking for living. Then he started working in this Hazaribagh Tannery, now it’s 40 years he left behind. In this long span of his life time, many factories’ wheels have been running through by his labor, but wheel of his fortune yet to run. Now in the sun set of his life, he has to work of leather aeration to fill his stomach for once a day. It may fill his stomach only for two times but it keeps him starving most of the day. This story is not only of Abdul Jalil himself. This story is of thousands of Abdul Jalil’s stories of howling in Hazaribagh.

  • Iqbal Munna
    Director
  • HM Shuja
    Writer
  • iqbal munna
    Writer
  • AKM Ashraf Uddin Mukut
    Producer
    Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF)
  • Mondiaal FNV
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    32 minutes 1 second
  • Completion Date:
    November 15, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Bangladesh
  • Country of Filming:
    Bangladesh
  • Language:
    Bengali
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Canon 5d mark iii
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Iqbal Munna

I Born in Chandpur district and living in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
I graduated from the faculty of electronics in Dhaka Polytechnic Institute.

My original name Md. Iqbal Hossain (known by Iqbal Munna).
I am a writer, director and editor.
I started my work Bangladesh television (BTV) in 2002 as NON-Linear Video Editor. Since then i engaged in the independent documentary film industry as a director and editor.
In 2010 i launched a small film, television and video production company named creative pro BD.
In 2016, i make a documentary film about Bangladesh Tannery (leather) industry present situation. this film highly appreciated in the world.
In 2017, I made two more films, one is; Bangladesh Inland Water Transport workers life style. and another is; present situation of Savar Tannery area and pollution of dhaleshwari river.
This year (2018), i already made one film and waiting for start shooting two more films.

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Director Statement

Every night I dream, I'm doing something for the helpless people.
But there was no logical way to make dreams a reality, Because I did not have any financial resources.
in that time, I get the opportunity to work in a documentary on the poorest people of the northern region of Bangladesh. And then i thinking, this is a platform that I can afford. Since then, I started making my documentary.
If I wish, I would have been financially able to make mainstrem films.
But I want my work always help to be deprived and helpless peoples.
And my struggle for the implementation of this dream is going on ...
iqbal Munna