The boy carrying his younger brother looked puzzled
As I walked through a settlement on the outskirts of Dhaka, children peeked out from between the bamboo-and-tin houses. Barefoot and darting about through the dusty air, they seemed almost overflowing with life. Then I noticed a boy standing with his younger brother in his arms. They were clearly siblings. Though still very young himself, the older boy held the little one firmly, looking straight at me as if he were the family’s spokesperson. The younger child was completely naked, except for an oversized necklace hanging from his chest, glinting in the muted light. It was probably borrowed from their mother or from the older brother.
In this country, even poor households often make sure their children wear some form of ornament. In Islamic cultural regions, gold or silver adornments can serve as protective charms. In other words, they are not mere decoration but a form of embodied prayer. Yet the younger brother’s expression suggested anything but divine reassurance—he simply looked puzzled, unsure why a stranger from another land was pointing a camera at him. The older boy, meanwhile, furrowed his brow slightly, holding his brother close with a hint of pride.
| Mar 2010 BANGLADESH PEOPLE | |
| ANXIETY BOY BROTHER DHAKA NECKLACE SHAVEN HEAD SHIRTLESS |
Similar photos
PHOTO DATA
No
3807
Shooting Date
Sep 2009
Posted On
March 11, 2010
Modified On
November 19, 2025
Place
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Genre
Portrait Photography
Camera
CANON EOS 1V
Lens
EF85MM F1.2L II USM
