Piyas Biswas
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Climate change and adaptation, Diversity, Economic and environmental revolution, Human rights, Political conflict, Social justice, Culture.
Piyas Biswas is a multimedia journalist based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Articles by Piyas Biswas
Climate change keeps destroying my home. So I bought one I can move.
Journalist’s notes Piyas Biswas, July 2026 Interview subject: Mohammad Sumon Mridha, 30, now lives on the banks of the Padma River in Lohajang Upazila of Munshiganj district, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Dhaka, where he rents a small plot of land with his wife, Hena Begum, 22, and their 3-year-old son, Rabbi. A fisherman, his life was once very different.
For 62 Years, One Woman Has Changed Lives in Rural Bangladesh
In a quiet village in western Bangladesh, far from the noise of major cities, a small hospital continues to serve thousands of people every year. At its center is an 87-year-old woman who arrived as a stranger more than six decades ago and never left. I first came to know Sister Zilian Margaret Rose through my family and my village. Although I was born and raised outside Ballavpur, India, my grandparents lived in Bangladesh, and I spent many Christmas and Easter holidays in their village.
Pre-monsoon floods wipe out Boro rice harvests in Bangladesh’s haor wetlands
On a raised rural road cutting through Bangladesh’s haor wetlands, 70-year-old farmer Firoz Khandaker sat surrounded by his family, spreading out freshly harvested but water-soaked rice to dry in the sun. Around him, water stretched endlessly across submerged fields, an image that captured the scale of this year’s agricultural disaster in the country’s north-eastern floodplain. Would you like us to summarize articles for you?
Missionary-launched medical center leads Bangladesh's leprosy fight
When Italian missionary Fr. Joseph Obert founded the Dhanjuri Leprosy Center in 1927 in Dinajpur, Bangladesh, he may not have anticipated that it would become one of the country's leading centers for leprosy treatment and care. It claims to have successfully treated some 12,000 people with leprosy, supported by a full-fledged 70-bed hospital equipped with modern facilities for treatment, ulcer care, physical therapy, and the production of protective footwear.
"God does what God does": An interview with Brandon Ambrosino
One of the most frequent courses I teach to undergraduates is "Philosophy of Religion." This class focuses on key problems, questions, challenges and insights related to religious thought and examined from philosophical perspectives across the centuries. I inform the students from the outset that, while I teach many theology courses, this is not one of them.
Why the Dems need to bring common sense to the culture wars
Earlier this year, the American Medical Association retreated from its previous, unequivocal support for irrevocable procedures such as puberty blockers or surgical interventions for minors, following a similar decision by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "In the absence of clear evidence, the A.M.A. agrees with A.S.P.S. that surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood," the AMA said.
The Leo Chronicles: Goodbye to Gabby
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Floating Schools of Chalan Beel: When the Classroom Comes by Boat
In Bangladesh’s vast wetland region of Chalan Beel, the monsoon transforms villages into an endless sheet of water. Roads disappear, homes become isolated, and daily life slows to the rhythm of rising and falling floods. Yet even in this waterlogged landscape, one thing does not stop: education. Instead of children going to school, the school comes to them. Eleven-year-old Mosammat Fatema Khatun waits each morning on the muddy bank of the Gumani River in Chatmohar, Pabna.
Post-protests, whither Bangladesh’s youth?
B angladesh’s 2026 general election is just a few months away, but Jubairul Hasan Arif is already raring to vote. The chief joint organizer of the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), Arif believes participating in the poll is crucial if the reforms young Bangladeshis like him have been demanding are to have a chance of happening.
The mostly Muslim Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades, with many escaping the 2017 military clampdown
By Piyas Biswas A Rohingya refugee who fled ethnic violence in Myanmar along with 750,000 others in 2017, spending seven years in Bangladesh, described Tuesday the endless cycle of violence and exile facing the mostly Muslim minority.
The mostly Muslim Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades, with many escaping the 2017 military clampdown
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The mostly Muslim Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades, with many escaping the 2017 military clampdown
The mostly Muslim Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades, with many escaping the 2017 military clampdown
The mostly Muslim Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades, with many escaping the 2017 military clampdown
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The mostly Muslim Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades, with many escaping the 2017 military clampdown
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The mostly Muslim Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades, with many escaping the 2017 military clampdown
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The mostly Muslim Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades, with many escaping the 2017 military clampdown
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The mostly Muslim Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades, with many escaping the 2017 military clampdown
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The mostly Muslim Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades, with many escaping the 2017 military clampdown
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Church-Run Daycare Helps Parents in Bangladesh’s Garment Industry
The Catholic-run Mamata Day Care Center offers loving care for families with two working parents. A child at the Catholic-run Mamata Day Care Center in Gazipur, Bangladesh, is carried by one of the center’s “day mothers,” who care for the children of garment workers. (photo: Courtesy of Piyas Biswas) World August 21, 2025 DHAKA, Bangladesh — For hard-pressed families with two parents who both work in Bangladesh’s garment industry, the Catholic-run Mamata Day Care Center is a godsend.
Piyas Biswas - NCRegister
Piyas Biswas Piyas Biswas is a multimedia journalist and documentary photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Latest Search Church-Run Daycare Helps Parents in Bangladesh’s Garment Industry The Catholic-run Mamata Day Care Center offers loving care for families with two working parents. World August 21, 2025
Catholic Bishops Urge Government Support After Bangladesh Plane Crash
In a telegram sent on July 22, Pope Leo expressed that he was 'deeply saddened' by the devastating loss of life, particularly the children who were caught in the sudden disaster. Flowers and offerings are placed at the grave of Ukya Chhaing Marma. The seventh-grader died from his wounds after being rescued from a July 21, 2025, plane crash at his Dhaka school.
12 Years After Factory Collapse, Bangladeshi Workers Fight for a Better Future
Twelve years have now passed since the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh, one of the deadliest industrial disasters in history. On April 24, 2013, the eight-story Rana Plaza building in Savar collapsed, claiming the lives of 1,134 people and injuring over 2,500 others. The collapse was a product of denied labor rights for heavily exploited garment workers and corporate disregard for unambiguously unsafe building conditions.
Piyas Biswas
Piyas Biswas Piyas Biswas is a visual storyteller and documentary photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. His work has been featured in leading international outlets, including The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, CNN International, and BBC Bangla.
Photo essay: Twelve years after the Rana Plaza tragedy, a collage of unfinished recovery
TWELVE YEARS HAVE PASSED since the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Savar, Bangladesh. It happened on April 24, 2013, one of the deadliest factory disasters the world has ever seen. An eight storey building with five garment factories came crashing down that day, extinguishing 1,134 lives and leaving more than 2,500 injured and disabled indelibly for life in ways more than one. Certain pain, certain trauma can not be forgotten.
Bangladesh youth lead Way of the Cross on a rainy Good Friday: Photo essay
On Good Friday, April 18, a tradition came to life in Dinajpur, a northern district of Bangladesh. Hundreds of Catholic faithful gathered at Dinajpur Cathedral to take part in the annual "Way of the Cross," a solemn reenactment of Jesus Christ's final journey to Calvary. This sacred ceremony, observed for more than 25 years, is a key part of the Lenten season for the local community.
Thousands trek through New Mexico desert to adobe church for Good Friday
Pilgrims walk through desert badlands to reach a spiritual wellspring CHIMAYÓ, N.M. -- A unique Holy Week tradition drew thousands of Catholic pilgrims to a small adobe church in the hills of northern New Mexico, in a journey on foot through desert badlands to reach a spiritual wellspring. For generations, people of the Upper Rio Grande Valley and beyond have walked to reach El Santuario de Chimayó to commemorate Good Friday. Pilgrims began arriving at dawn.
Vice President JD Vance attends Vatican's Good Friday service
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, holding their daughter, smiles with his wife, Usha, who is holding their son, before the start of the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican April 18, 2025.
Voices On the Wall
Piyas Biswas January 7, 2025 Bangladesh was shaken by widespread protests in July and August, sparked by the student-led Quota Reform Movement, a movement against employment discrimination that evolved into a campaign to oust the government of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Driven by frustrations over government policies, inequality and corruption, the demonstrations led to violent clashes between protesters and authorities.
Flawed recognition
Rodela was visibly proud while she and the rest of her community hosted journalists who had come to see their mosque. “Now that we have our mosque, we can recite the Quran here whenever we want,” said the 21-year-old hijra. “No one can make bad comments about us anymore.” Earlier this year, a community of hijras in Mymensingh in northcentral Bangladesh built themselves a modest mosque along the banks of the Brahmaputra River.
Boots behind the scenes
W eeks after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and flee her South Asian nation, Bangladeshis are still waking up each morning amazed that they are no longer under her thumb. In Dhaka, homemaker Dinara Rahman echoes many others in saying, “The country feels different now. It feels like we’re breathing in a free nation.” Yet some analysts remain worried about what can happen next, or at least until an election is held.
Tackling a climate-induced water crisis
May 18, 2024 topic: Health and Sanitation tags: #Bangladesh, #water access, #health, #women's rights located: Bangladesh by: Piyas Biswas Climate change is heightening salinity in Bangladesh's coastal waters and lands, exacerbating clean water scarcity and increasing health issues from salt water consumption. "In this coastal area, water is everywhere as far as the eye can see.
Deadly neighbor troubles
T he schools are open once more and residents of Bangladeshi districts bordering Myanmar no longer feel they have to seek safer places each night. But many are wary about what can happen next as fighting rages on across the border, and despite assurances from Bangladeshi authorities that they are on top of the situation. Myanmar shares land borders with China, India, Laos, Thailand, and Bangladesh.
International Solidarity Day in Dhaka
Pie de Foto: 26 February 2024, Bangladesh, Dhaka: Protesters hold placards with names of journalists killed and missing during a protest marking the International Solidarity Day in support of Palestinian journalists. Photo: Piyas Biswas/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Bangladesh: ancient farming technique brings hope to flood-hit areas
In the Nazirpur subdistrict, located in Bangladesh's riverine district of Pirojpur, 45-year-old farmer Mohammad Kawsar Mia has been using a technique inherited through generations to combat the detrimental consequences of waterlogging. Over the past 25 years, Mia, following the traditions of his ancestors, has practiced "floating cultivation," a method that has come to be regarded as highly valuable for numerous families in these waterlogged regions.
Forgotten victims
Renu Begum, 55, lost her son Robiul Islam Manik in the Rana Plaza accident. He was 27. Robiul worked on the seventh floor as a senior machine mechanic and was the family’s main bread earner. “The owner of the factory has never checked on us or provided any financial assistance, not even a minimal amount,” says Begum. “If my son were still alive, our struggles wouldn’t be as difficult. Both my husband and I are ill and unable to work.
Ten Years On From Rana Plaza, How Much Have Conditions in Bangladesh’s Garment Industry Improved?
Ten years ago, on the morning of 24 April 2013, the world was shaken by the tragic collapse of Rana Plaza, an eight-story building that housed several garment factories in Savar, on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. Reportedly constructed on unsuitable land, the building also violated construction regulations, used substandard building materials, was extended by four floors without permission, and involved the bribery of officials to overlook these issues.
'The Rulers Are Exploiting Us': Rana Plaza Survivors Still Struggle 10 Years After Collapse
April 24, 2023, marks the tenth anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh. On that fateful day in 2013, the eight-story building collapsed, killing over 1,100 people and injuring more than 2,500, mostly garment workers who were producing clothes for global brands. Sumi Akhter, 26, began work at Rana Plaza in April 2013, sewing for garment supplier New Wave Style. She somehow escaped death in the collapse but lost her mother, who worked in the same building.
Piyas Biswas
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10 Years After the Rana Plaza Collapse, Has Anything Changed?
Piyas Biswas April 24, 2023 April 24, 2023, marks the tenth anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh. On that fateful day in 2013, the eight-story building collapsed, killing over 1,100 people and injuring more than 2,500, mostly garment workers who were producing clothes for global brands. Sumi Akhter, 26, began work at Rana Plaza in April 2013, sewing for garment supplier New Wave Style. She somehow escaped death in the collapse but lost her mother, who worked in the same building.
Rana Plaza collapse ten years on: How much has Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry improved? – The Leaflet
In the aftermath of the tragic Rana Plaza collapse, efforts have been made to improve safety and workers’ rights in the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh. However, families of the victims and survivors of the collapse are not satisfied with these efforts and want better conditions in the industry so that workers don’t have to face such tragedies ever again.
Bangladesh’s Garment Industry, a Decade After Rana Plaza Collapse
Features | Society | South Asia While there has been progress over the past 10 years, much work remains to be done to ensure fair and respectful treatment of workers. A decade has passed since the fateful morning of April 24, 2013, when Rana Plaza, a multistory building in Bangladesh that housed several garment factories, came crashing down. The collapse claimed the lives of 1,134 individuals and left thousands injured, casting a dark shadow on the fashion industry.
Ten years on from Rana Plaza, how much have conditions in Bangladesh’s garment industry improved?
Ten years ago, on the morning of 24 April 2013, the world was shaken by the tragic collapse of Rana Plaza, an eight-story building that housed several garment factories in Savar, on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. Reportedly constructed on unsuitable land, the building also violated construction regulations, used substandard building materials, was extended by four floors without permission, and involved the bribery of officials to overlook these issues.
Bangladesh’s Garment Industry, a Decade After Rana Plaza Collapse - The Diplomat
A decade has handed because the fateful morning of April 24, 2013, when Rana Plaza, a multistory constructing in Bangladesh that housed a number of garment factories, got here crashing down. The collapse claimed the lives of 1,134 people and left 1000’s injured, casting a darkish shadow on the style business. The devastating tragedy uncovered the grim actuality of unsafe working circumstances and labor rights violations within the world garment commerce, triggering a worldwide outcry for change.
Church-Run Daycare Helps Parents in Bangladesh’s Garment Industry
The Catholic-run Mamata Day Care Center offers loving care for families with two working parents. , August 21, 2025 – National Catholic Register DHAKA, Bangladesh — For hard-pressed families with two parents who both work in Bangladesh’s garment industry, the Catholic-run Mamata Day Care Center is a godsend. Three-month-old Sifrat Ullah Al Soyath starts his day early in the morning with his parents. But right after breakfast, the infant boy goes to the daycare center with his mother, Sathi.
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