What is said one day can be contradicted the week after, at least partially, and that makes me happy. The subject in question is the double-page spread in Marianne about Bangladesh. This is the story. A photographer is speaking:
“Actually I am not interested to bargain on this photo price. I want to contribute a sum of money that I’ll get front the picture to workers, their family and who are working to help workers.
I want that world should know about the cheapest labors working condition of our country. Sometimes owner and government try to say that the activist and workers are trying to make conspiracy against industrialization. This is the same old story against workers right. But as an activist and photographer I want to say that I, all activist, trade union activist and workers want development of industrialization. We believe that without improving the condition of workers with their proper wage ( now their wage is near about $ 37 per month, which is not enough to survive ) and safety this development cannot be possible.
And it is not only our local issue, it is an international issue too. Because buyer buy product from our country in a very cheap rate and our labor has become the cheapest labor in the world. International buyers also not careful about the rate of payment worker and the safety issue. So Owner, Government and buyer also responsible for this, International buyer should careful about their supply chain also. Trough my photograph for last five years I am trying to campaign against low wage of workers and insecure working condition of workers.
I am writing you this things because the reason is that I want to give emphasis on my point. Hope you will agree with me. And I don’t want to use my photograph in any propaganda of destroying our industry, boycotting our products. I want to save our industry. Without proper wage and good working condition we cannot save our industry, hope through my image I can raise voice of workers right. Hope I can clear my position.”
The photographer lives in Bangladesh. Her name is Taslima Akhter. Her photo wasn’t distributed by any agency. It was found by the Marianne photo department on Twitter, and then featured in a report on the collapse of the “Rana Plazza” in the suburb of Dacca, which caused nearly 1200 deaths.
Several thoughts:
-Photos have to come from somewhere.
-Bangladesh is a country with many fantastic photographers.
-Although the tragedy was covered in the media, it received little attention compared to the tornado in Oklahoma City, which made several headlines.
-I appreciate Taslima’s speech and her photographs. It shows a real sense of political commitment, something that is regrettably absent from our newspapers.
This was a good week.
Michel Philippot
