Many people may not know that cleaning in Bangladesh is considered the hardest and dirtiest job in the world. On May 6, 2017, a photo posted on the Facebook page of famous Bangladeshi photographer - GMB Akash - attracted the attention of many netizens. It was a portrait of a man with dark but strangely shiny skin, his hair was still jet black but his beard had turned a light silver color. The focus of the photo was the cloudy eyes filled with sadness, the black tiger of the man that at a glance, people knew he had gone through many hardships, hardships, wind and dust.

The photo that "caused a storm" on social networks

But what is so special about this photo that it made millions of Facebook users tear up? The answer lies in the captions that accompany the photo.

The tearful story of a poor father who works as a sewer cleaner to support his children's education

The man in this photo that "caused a storm" on social networks is Mr. Idris, a poor laborer in Bangladesh. He works as a sewer cleaner to support his four children's education.

Many people may not know that sewer cleaning in Bangladesh is considered the hardest and dirtiest job in the world. Workers have to work in unsanitary environments like black, smelly sewers, are susceptible to infectious diseases, and have meager salaries.

Although it was difficult and hard, the poor father Idris hid his job because he was afraid that if he knew the truth, his children would feel ashamed in front of their friends. He worked hard without a word of complaint, hoping that his children could study in peace. To avoid his children's suspicion, every day before coming home from work, he would go to the public bathroom to wash away the stench after diving into the sewers.

However, an incident happened that made him decide to reveal the truth to his children. Photographer GMB Akash helped him express his feelings on social media, but unexpectedly, it brought tears to many people.

"I have never told my children what I do. I never want them to feel ashamed of me. When my youngest child asks me what I do, I often hesitate and then tell her that I am a laborer. Before I come home every day, I usually take a shower in a public toilet so they don't know what I do. I want my children to go to school and get the best education so that they can hold their heads high in front of anyone. I never want others to look down on my children the way people look down on me. People always look down on me.

 

I spent every penny I earned on my children's education. I didn't dare buy a new shirt, but used the money to buy books for them.

The day before my youngest daughter entered university, I couldn't afford the admission fee. I couldn't do anything that day. I sat by the pile of trash, trying to hide my sad tears. The workers who worked with me all looked at me but no one said a word. I felt so defeated and heartbroken. I didn't know how to face my daughter when I returned home. I was born poor, and at that moment I thought that being poor meant I would never receive good things.

After work, the men who worked with me came and sat next to me and asked if I considered them my brothers. Before I could say anything, each of them had already shoved their day's wages into my hand. When I tried to refuse, I received encouragement: 'Even if we don't eat today, we won't starve to death, but your daughter must go to college.' My throat choked up.

That day, I didn't shower. I returned home looking dirty, filthy, and smelling like a real sewer cleaner. I decided not to hide my profession from my children anymore."

That was the day Mr. Idris told his children about his profession. He also told them that he did not have enough money to send his youngest daughter to university, but his colleagues sacrificed their small salaries for him and his children.

After learning that their father had sacrificed a lot for them, his three older daughters (who had graduated from university and were working) decided not to let him work harder. They earned money to pay for their children's tuition to support their father.

Mr. Idris then continued his work. He found that his youngest daughter often took him to work and brought food for all his colleagues. When asked why she did that, she said: Answer: "Because everyone had to starve that day so that I could be where I am today."

The hardest job in the world

Mr. Idris's story is just a small part of the gray picture of life for the poor working class in Bangladesh. The black sewers seem like they would die instantly if they fell into them because of the dirt, the smell, and the fear, but many poor people here still accept to let themselves fall in, all for food and clothes!

Working in places with toxic emissions or polluted environments, workers are often equipped with labor protection equipment or at least a mask and gloves, but these sewer cleaners do not have any protection.

The Daily Mail once published a picture of a man who was an employee of a drainage company in Dhaka city (Bangladesh), having to clear the city's sewers without any safety equipment, causing many people to shiver, fear mixed with sympathy and sorrow.

Nameless, the sewer man, like many other workers in this hard-working profession, has to dive into sewer pipes all day without any protective equipment. With only a long stick, they dive into clogged sewer areas to clear the flow. No blindfold, no protective clothing, no eye protection or anything; their bodies are exposed directly to garbage, sewage and countless toxic substances.

 

In a city of about 14 million people, due to poor drainage and infrastructure, flooding and clogged sewers occur frequently during the rainy season. This makes their work even more difficult.

Despite many warnings about deaths related to this difficult work, workers are still not equipped with the necessary tools to protect themselves. They still accept it in order to earn a living not only for themselves but also for their families.