Les Routes de l'impossible

Bangladesh: A no-holds-barred duel

In Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries in the world, the struggle for survival often begins in childhood. On the congested streets of Dhaka, along the vast rivers of the Ganges Delta, or in the garment factories that clothe the world, millions of children work to help support their families. At just 13 years old, Sujon already drives a delivery truck through the chaos of the capital. Ten hours a day, he hauls hazardous chemicals amidst massive traffic jams. Another battle rages on the roads: drivers overtake at breakneck speed and swerve into the dust to avoid oncoming traffic. Their rule of the road often boils down to a "do-or-die" gamble. Fazlur and Imran sometimes work for more than twenty-four hours straight—a grueling race against time where every trip is a gamble. Three hundred kilometers away, 12-year-old Obaï boards a giant raft made of 5,300 bamboo poles with his uncle Sadek.