Your Bio

Jan Møller Hansen is an autodidact, self-taught and passionate photographer with a main interest in people and their lives.

The exhibits presented here are based on social documentary and street photography.

I am facinated by photography as a powerful tool of communication and influence. As a way of experiencing reality.

Photography helps in getting closer to reality and it connects. Good photographs are for me the ones that often stand best alone without words and provoke thoughts and feelings with the viewer. Photographs that expose the viewer to the endless facets of our facinating world.

The portfolio and series presented here will continue to grow and develop. So keep an eye on them.

I shoot with the best equipment from Canon. But technic and equipment are for me only part of the process and the outcome. Timing and connection together with light and motion mean everything. Photography is for me completely unpredictable and very often a big surprise. I love the interaction with people and the surroundings. When it is practically possible I often bring the equipment on our travels in various parts of the world.

The universe is the infinity of never returning moments. Just existence. Photography can capture a moment in this infinity that will never reappear. Hope that you enjoy these moments and the told or untold stories behind.

Jan Møller Hansen

Galleries

Smiles of Bangladesh : Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated areas of the world and is faced with many complex development challenges. The greatest strength and the future of the country lie with the robust, resilient and very hard-working people, who are determined to get a better life for themselves and their children. The farmers, the garment and industrial workers, the urban slum dwellers, the rickshaw pullers and millions of others are the backbone of the economy and the society. In this exhibit you will see the proof of the strength, pride and dignity of the people of Bangladesh - here is presented a sporatic glimpse of the people of Bangladesh. The photos are taken in Dhaka and in other cities in Bangladesh. I collect smiles from Bangladesh, and this exhibit will continue to be developed. There are so many smiles to capture and preserve. Bangladesh is the great Country of Smiles. Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, May 2012

Smiles of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated areas of the world and ...

Updated: May 06, 2012 8:24am PST

Greenland : A few shots from a lovely summer vacation in Greenland 2011. Jan Møller Hansen Illulisat, July 2011

Greenland

A few shots from a lovely summer vacation in Greenland 2011. Jan Mø ...

Updated: Oct 09, 2011 8:16am PST

Portraits of Bangladesh : Bangladesh is a unique country with friendly, open and curious people. The pride and future of this great country is the tolerant, resilient and hard-working people. Here you can meet a few of them. Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, May 2012

Portraits of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a unique country with friendly, open and curious people. ...

Updated: May 17, 2012 9:26pm PST

Women of Bangladesh :

Women of Bangladesh

Updated: May 16, 2012 9:02am PST

Children of Bangladesh : It is believed that some 40 million people or 28 percent of the population in Bangladesh live in slums - many of them are children. In Bangladesh there are more than 60 million children - half of these children are living below the poverty line. One fourth of the children - 15 million - are deprived of at least four basic needs among the following: food, education, health, information, shelter, water and sanitation. Only 18 percent of slum children go to some kind of school. It is also believed that there are some 2.5 million child labours after being trafficked and some 7.5 million working children in Bangladesh. Social norms and economic realities mean that child labour is widely accepted and very common. Many families rely on the income generated by their children for survival, so child labour is often highly valued. Additionally, employers often prefer to employ children because they are cheaper and considered to be more compliant and obedient than adults. When children are forced to work, they are often denied their rights to education, leisure and play. A survey conducted by Unicef in 2012 has documented that 95 out of 1000 children living in slums die before they get five years. In Bangladesh, 22 percent of infants are born underweight. In this exhibit you can meet a few children from Bangladesh, Most of them are living in slums in Dhaka city or in other parts of Bangladesh. Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, May 2012

Children of Bangladesh

It is believed that some 40 million people or 28 percent of the popula ...

Updated: May 18, 2012 8:56am PST

Jan Møller Hansen :

Jan Møller Hansen

Updated: Oct 09, 2011 7:49am PST

Neither Man nor Woman - Transgenders in Bangladesh : The transgenders in Bangladesh, and in other parts of South Asia, are locally known as Hijras. In the West, they are known as hermaphrodites or eunuchs. The transgenders have been part of the South Asian landscape for thousands of years. The transgenders are born male but grow up feeling like and dressing as women. Marked out because of their sexual difference, they are a despised and neglected minority. It is not that easy to define a hijra. There are differences between the cultural definition and the variety of individual lives and experiences. Hijras are culturally defined in terms of their traditional occupation as performers on auspicious occasions, but not all hijras perform. Some hijras see them themselves as neither man nor woman, but there are also many who very feel and behave like women. There is also the definition that relates to physical sexuality. Many think that most hijras are hermaphrodites, but that is not true. Most hijras are probably "made" rather than "born that way". Becoming a real hijra often means going through the emasculation ritual by removal of the penis and testicles. Ideally, the emasculation operation is performed by a hijra called a dai ma (midwife), a clear and strong symbolic statement of the emasculation as rebirth. The emasculation ritual transforms an impotent man into a potentially powerful person, The emasculation operation is done together with various rituals and blessings, which is not described here in detail. Some is of the opinion that the emasculation distinguishes real hijras from the fake. The emasculation is the major source of the ritual power of the hijras. It is the source of their uniqueness and the most authentic way of identifying oneself as a hijra and of being so identified by the larger society. It is the emasculation that links the hijras to two of the most powerful figures in the Hindu religion, Shiva and the Mother Goddess, and it is emasculation that sanctions the hijras’ ritual role as performers at marriages and births. As ritual performers, they are viewed as vehicles of the divine power of the Mother Goddess, which transforms their impotence into the power of generativity. The faith in the powers of the hijras rests on the Hindu belief in the Shakti - the potency of the dynamic female forces of creation that the hijras, as vehicles of the Mother Goddess, represents. The performances are the most respectable and prestigious way to earn a living within the hijra community and an important source of income of the hijras’ claim to respect the larger society. The sexual ambiguity of the hijas as impotent men - eunuchs - represents a loss of virility, and this undoubtedly is the major cause of the fear that they inspire. The hijras can praise the good qualities of families, but they also can insult them; they can bless one’s house with prosperity and fertility, but they also can curse it with infertility and other kinds of misfortunes. The hijras are treated with a combination of mockery and fear. The hijras often engage in homosexual prostitution. Many hijras are both performers and prostitutes. The hijras are fighting for their rights, and they want to be treated equally among other people. They want others to know that they are also normal human beings. They want to be allowed to lead a normal life like others. The hijras claim that others do not understand their life, gender and sexuality. They want the society and the government to recognise them with equally rights as other human beings. No public institutions, private companies or individuals want to employ hijras, and they do not get admitted to schools or colleges. They have limited access to legal and health services. It is nearly impossible for hijras to vote or to get a passport. Although the hijras often provoke horror or ridicule, they have traditionally had a role to play on the margins of society as entertainers and as bestowers of curses and blessings. They are often surrounded by fear and superstition, and sometimes they are hired to remove bad luck for new buildings under construction, to bring good luck for new-born babies or to entertain at weddings. The hijras are living at the bottom of society and their traditional ways of making a living are under threat. With television and many other forms of entertainment, their roles as performers and entertainers in local communities are diminishing. They often make a living by walking around the streets of Dhaka and other cities collecting money from shop keepers, bus and train passengers or by prostitution. The hijras suffer from social stigma and are discriminated against. The hijras live in small closed groups led by a guru (teacher). Few are born hermaphrodites and some undergo ritual emasculation at puberty or as adult. The hijras have a very strong sense of identity and belonging to the group. The hijras are usually excluded and abandoned by their own families and relatives. Many people do not like transgenders - they feel uncomfortable in their company, and their traditional perceptions on traditional gender roles are often seriously questioned. When I meet the hijras in Dhaka and in other cities in Bangladesh, I can clearly feel their proudness and great dignity being hijra and different from other people. Here you can meet some of the hijras, who are great people. Many good shots are also kept on my hard disk not to offend anyone :) Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, March 2012

Neither Man nor Woman - Transgenders in Bangladesh

The transgenders in Bangladesh, and in other parts of South Asia, are ...

Updated: Jun 17, 2012 3:47am PST

Sri Lanka : A few shots from a trip around the Southern and Central parts of Sri Lanka in October 2011. Jan Møller Hansen Colombo, October 2011

Sri Lanka

A few shots from a trip around the Southern and Central parts of Sri L ...

Updated: Jan 18, 2013 12:08pm PST

Sex Workers in Bangladesh : An estimated 200,000 women and teenage girls work in Bangladesh's sex industry. Child prostitution is widespread and a serious problem. The majority of Bangladeshi prostituted children are based in brothels, with a smaller number of children exploited in hotel rooms, parks, railway and bus stations and rented flats. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated in 2004 that there were 10,000 underage girls used in commercial sexual exploitation in the country, but other estimates placed the figure as high as 29,000. Many girls involved in child labour, such as working in factories and as domestic workers are raped or sexually exploited, these girls are highly stigmatised and many of them flee to escape such abuse, but often they find that prostitution is the only option open to them for survival - once in prostitution they become even more marginalized. More than 20,000 children are born and live in the 18 registered red-light areas of Bangladesh. Boys tend to become pimps once they grow up and girls continue in their mothers’ profession. Most of these girls enter the profession before the age of 12. Disabled children who live in institutions and children displaced as a result of natural disasters such as floods are highly susceptible to commercial sexual exploitation. Girls are often sold by their families to brothels for a period of two to three years of bonded sex work. The authorities generally ignore the minimum age of 18, often circumvented by false statements of age, for legal female prostitution; the government rarely prosecutes procurers of minors As many as 90 percent of the sex workers may be addicted to Oradexon or similar steroids. Many sex workers take steroid rugs often used for cattle. The girls or women then looks plump and more attractive to the male customers. The old sex workers often take the steroid as tablets, whereas injections are more effective for younger girls. Oradexon is a commonly used steroid. Prostitution was legalised in Bangladesh in 2000 even though the Bangladesh constitution provides that the "State shall endeavour to prevent gambling and prostitution." This might be controversial, but during my walks I have been surprised to see how well-organised the sex industry and brothels are in Bangladesh. In many ways it appears to be much more well-organised and accepted than in my own country Denmark and in similar societies. I have found that many aspects of many controversial and tabued parts of human life is more accepted and better understood in other societies than in my own. Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, January 2012

Sex Workers in Bangladesh

An estimated 200,000 women and teenage girls work in Bangladesh's sex ...

Updated: Jan 13, 2012 9:03am PST

Acid Survivors : Acid attacks in Bangladesh are usually the result of land dísputes, rejected marriage proposals, refusal or inability to pay dowry, resistance of being trafficked as sex worker or simply the desire for revenge. The overwhelming majority of victims are young women and children, but men are also increasingly among the victims. Permanently disfigured and psychologically scarred, survivors are often shunned from their local communities, making it impossible for them to find work or get married. It is estimated that from 1999 and until 2010 nearly 3000 women, children and men in Bangladesh fell victim to acid attacks. Though the rate of acid violence is in decline, the number of attacks remains alarmingly high. Statistics are never fully reliable - I just know that every time I went there were new victims. They more or less came in on a daily basis. In this exhibit you can met a few acid victims, which are among the most brave people I have ever come across. My sincere thanks goes to the people from Acid Survivors' Foundation for doing great work in helping the acid victims. Through this serie of photographs, I have tried to tell a few short stories of incredible strong and proud people who want to continue their life despite being victims of terrible crimes. Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, May 2012

Acid Survivors

Acid attacks in Bangladesh are usually the result of land dísputes, re ...

Updated: Jan 31, 2013 10:03am PST

Street Photography : Street photography is an interesting and different photography discipline, and it is gaining it's own reputation :)

Street Photography

Street photography is an interesting and different photography discipl ...

Updated: Jan 23, 2012 5:36am PST

Building one of the fastest growing mega cities in the World : It is estimated that there are about 8000 brick kilns in Bangladesh, which produce more than 12 billion bricks, every year. The industry employs some 1.2 million people. Families often travel vast distances to work in the brick kilns under forms that by some are considered as being modern slavery. The workers and their families, including children and women, are living on the brick kiln sites and under very poor conditions. For many people it is difficult to find a job, and the work season in the brick kilns is short, only five months. The workers have no other options, and they are forced to live and work in the brick kilns. When the monsoon arrives, the rain stops production and the workers are forced to return to their villages or the cities where there is little work. Even though child labour and forced labour are forbidden by law, it is still a common phenomenon. Half of the brick kilns in Bangladesh are illegal and do not comply with environmental standards. In fact, most of the environmental standards for brick kilns are not enforced at all. Among others, the law says that it is not allowed to operate a brick kiln within 3 kilometres of human settlements. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated areas in the world and law enforcement and governance are weak. It is very dangerous to live close to or in the surroundings of a brick kiln. The brick kilns are one of the country’s biggest environmental threats, damaging cultivatable land, forests and human health. The brick kilns use automobile tyres, low grade sulphur-rich coal and fire wood. Each kiln uses app. 350 tonnes of wood a year, and the industry is having a devastating effect on the forests. Bangladesh has barely a tenth of its area covered with trees and is loosing app. 2.5 million hectares of forest a year. It is thought that there will be virtually no forests left in Bangladesh in 25 years. Studies have shown that during the dry season when the brick kilns are in operation, the amount of particles in and around Dhaka city are more than ten times higher than the maximum recommendable value set by WHO. The particles from the brick kilns are small making them particular dangerous for human health. It is estimated that there are more than 1200 brick kilns around Dhaka city. The air quality in Dhaka is among the most polluted in the world, and it is estimated that up to 15,000 premature deaths in Dhaka annually are attributed to air pollution. A large part of the air pollution comes from the brick kilns. The German F.E, Hoffmann invented a continuous brick kiln in 1857. The first kiln had a circular, arched tunnel surrounding the chimney. This reduced the fuel consumption by more than 50% compared to the periodic kilns. Thirty years later, a British engineer, W. Bull, designed an arch less version of the Hoffmann kiln, which is now called a Bull' s trench kiln. This is the type of brick kilns, which are in used in Bangladesh. Its greatest advantage is its low cost of construction and comparatively low energy consumption. Coupled with very low labour costs, this is the preferred technology in Bangladesh. The technology is 150 years old and has not changed much since then. There are a few attempts to introduce new and cleaner brick making technology in Bangladesh. Take the slide show and find out how one of the fastest growing mega cities in the Majority World is being made. Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, March 2012

Building one of the fastest growing mega cities in the World

It is estimated that there are about 8000 brick kilns in Bangladesh, w ...

Updated: Oct 13, 2012 8:29am PST

Walks in Dhaka City : Sometimes I take a walk in Dhaka city to meet people and see how they live. Dhaka city is one the fastest growing mega cities in the world. It is estimated that the city grows with some 300.000 new citizens every year. About one fourth of the city's population lives in slum. Here you can meet a few of the citizens of Dhaka city. Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, May 2012

Walks in Dhaka City

Sometimes I take a walk in Dhaka city to meet people and see how they ...

Updated: May 06, 2012 8:17am PST

Down Under 2011 : A few impressions from our Christmas and New Year vacation in Australia 2011/12.

Down Under 2011

A few impressions from our Christmas and New Year vacation in Australi ...

Updated: Jan 03, 2012 6:20am PST

Under Down Under - Tasmania Dec. 2011 : A few shots from a six days trip around Tasmania in December 2011.

Under Down Under - Tasmania Dec. 2011

A few shots from a six days trip around Tasmania in December 2011.

Updated: Dec 25, 2011 12:36am PST

The Graveyard of Giants : Ship breaking in Bangladesh started back in 1960 when the Bay of Bengal was struck by a cyclone, which left a giant cargo ship beached near the sea shore of Fauzdarhat near Chittagong. The ship owners abandoned the wreck, and local metal workers slowly began to scrounge it for scrap metal and material. In 1974, a salvaged Pakistani navy vessel, which was sunk during the Bangladeshi liberation war, was scrapped by Karnafully Metal Works. These two incidences are considered to be the beginning of the ship breaking industry in Bangladesh. The ship breaking industry gradually grew since then, and by the mid 80s Bangladesh had become one of the major ship breaking nations in the world. Some of the world’s largest decommissioned ships are today scraped at the shores north of Chittagong, which is the second largest city and major sea port in the country. Environmental policies and laws were not enforced, labour salaries were among the lowest in the world and there were no standards for occupational health and labour safety. Obviously there were plenty of opportunities to exploit people and the environment when moving forward with the ship breaking business. Ship breaking on the beach, which already at that time was prohibited in most countries, could be done in Bangladesh without any concern. Poverty and millions of people without education were looking for livelihood ooportunities. They provided cheap and exploitable human man power needed for the ship breaking industry. No major investments were required for engaging in ship breaking. The present type of ship breaking in Bangladesh just require a large winch, some blowtorches and maybe a bulldozer. Rest of the operation is just raw human man power. Labour is extremely cheap, environmental and labour standards are loosely applied and no pre-cleaning of the ships are required for entering the ship breaking beach in Chittagong. Ship breaking is therefore a lucrative business with few risks for the yard owners, investors and money lenders. The ship breaking industry in Bangladesh is estimated worth an annual turn over of around 1.5 billion dollars. Globally some 700 ocean-going vessels are scrapped each year, and more than 100 of them are scrapped in Bangladesh. Some of the ships are 350 meter long with a weight up to 10-15.000 tons. It is estimated that app. 30 percent of the world’s Light Displacement Tonnes (LDT) were scrapped in Bangladesh during the period 2000-2010. Since then the business has been slightly declining due to the global recession and more strict enforcement of national laws and regulations. But the business is now picking up again, and the number of ship yards increases year by year. Ship breaking generates a lot of jobs, and it is estimated that some 30-50.000 people are directly employed in the ship breaking industry in Bangladesh. Additionally, another 100.000 are indirectly involved in the business. Most of the labourers are hired by the ship yards through local contractors on a ship by ship basis. A labourer earns around 1-3 dollars per day depending on the type of work. Some 300-500 people are typically employed on a temporary basis for dismantling a ship, and many more are employed in downstream activities for recycling of all kind of materials from the ships. Some of the recycled materials are exported, and the rest is sold of and reused in Bangladesh. A lot of the materials are of high value to the local economy. In particular, recycling of steel for producing iron rods for construction, plates for new ships or for many other purposes is a lucrative business. Up to 70-80 percent of the steel used in Bangladesh is believed to originate from the ship breaking yards in Chittagong. One of the most valuable parts of a ship is the propeller, which is often worth 50.000-100.000 dollars. Propellers and other high value items are exported to other countries. It is estimated that there are around 100 ship breaking yards along the coast north of Chittagong, and every year new yards are being constructed. The ship yards are owned by politicians and business people. The ship breaking practices applied in Bangladesh are strictly prohibited by most countries in the world due to very dangerous nature of the work and the huge environmental implications. It is the so-called beaching method that is being used in Bangladesh. The ship is sailed with maximum speed during the high tide and will be beached over the flat muddy land where it is completely dismantled by semi- and unskilled labourers during the low tide. Beaching is considered a specialised operation. The captain on board has to calculate the movement of the tides, the swell and the wind by the minute. The closer the ship is beached to the shore, the more profitable it becomes for the ship yard owner. The gigantic ships are ripped apart by blowtorches and large steel parts are taken to shore with use of electric winches. Most work is done by raw human man power. One might think that a ship to be scrapped has no value and is a liability rather than an asset. But on the contrary, the scrapping business is so lucrative that the ship breakers are paying for receiving the ships to be scrapped. A ship breaker will typically buy a ship to be scrapped for around 4-10 million dollars depending on the size and quality of the ship. The purchase of a ship is often done through a middleman, who links the local buyers with the international sellers. The ship breaker takes a loan in a local bank often with a high interest rate, and the full loan is repaid in six months time when the ship is completely ripped apart and all the scrap is sold to international and national buyers. Outdated and scrapped ships, which previously where a liability, is now a great asset. Working in the ship breaking yards is a very dangerous job, which involves many human health risks. Workers are often exposed to asbestos used for insulation in older ships and from paint containing lead, cadmium and arsenic. It is not seldom that workers die caused by gas poisoning or explosions and fires. Old ships are imported without pre-cleaning or removal of toxic gases and dangerous materials. Each ship contains an average of 7000 - 8000 kilo of asbestos and 10 - 100 tons of lead paint. Sometimes gases explode killing workers. It also happens that workers are crushed by tumbling or falling steel parts. Sometimes workers fall from the high sides of ships on which they are working without safety harnesses. Many of the oxyacetylene cutters work without goggles. Few wear shoes, let alone protective clothing. Local organisations in Bangladesh estimate that some 1000-2000 workers have died in the last 30 years, and many more have suffered serious injuries. General health statistics show that the percentage of people with disabilities in the Chittagong area is above average for the country as a whole, because many workers have lost limbs or got other disabilities from working in the ship breaking yards. The labourers lack basic equipment. When a new ship arrives, there are containers, chambers and tanks, which contain oil, petroleum and poisonous gases. One method used for checking the level of danger in these parts of the ship is to lower down chickens in a string to check whether there are dangerous gases. If the chickens survive, the first workers will enter to clean for oil, petroleum and other flammable substances. The flammable substances are often burned off before the cutters enter to rip the ship apart. Gas explosions is a common phenomenon. It is estimated that half of the workers are under 22 years and nearly half of them are illiterate. Some believe that up to around 20 percent of the total work force consist of children. The workers are poor and they have no other alternatives for supporting themselves and their families than to work in the ship breaking yards. There are often no other job alternatives for them. The workers do not know much about rules and regulations on basic occupational health standards and safety. The labourers or their families are poorly compensated when injured or killed. The Government of Bangladesh has recently introduced new national policies and legislation to improve the environmental and occupational health and safety standards in the ship breaking yards. But there is a long way to go. Governance is poor, and enforcement of policies and laws is often non-existent. Politicians and decision makers have vested interests in the industry, and corruption is wide spread making it difficult to enforce rules and regulations. In recent years, the ship breaking industry in Bangladesh has been declining due to the global recession and the introduction of new tougher national policies and regulation. But the industry scents morning air. Critics claim that an international convention on ship recycling adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in January 2010 perpetuates hazardous and polluting ship breaking on the beaches of the world’s poorest countries, while obstructing transitions to safer and greener forms of ship recycling. An EU ban on single-hull tankers and phase-out regulations and an accelerated phasing-in of double-hulled oil tankers have also meant new business opportunities for the ship breaking industry in Bangladesh. A number of new ship breaking yards are under construction on the beach north of Chittagong. One of the world’s largest middle men in the global ship breaking business, the owner of Global Marketing Systems, estimates that one third of the world’s ships need to be scrapped in the coming years. No doubt that the industry is gearing up for new business opportunities. The workers in the ship breaking yards are clear on two things: that they will die early and that there have been no improvements over the last thirty years in terms of worker rights, health and safety. In this exhibit you can see a few photos from the ship breaking beach in Chittagong. Jan Møller Hansen Chittagong, February 2012

The Graveyard of Giants

Ship breaking in Bangladesh started back in 1960 when the Bay of Benga ...

Updated: Feb 13, 2012 4:20am PST

Marine Recycling in Chittagong : Marine recycling in Chittagong is a gigantic operation. Nearly 97 percent of large ocean going vessels, including all their content, are recycled and sold off along the Chittagong - Dhaka Highway and in other parts of the country. The most valuable items taken from the scrapped ships are exported to countries in Europe and Asia. In Chittagong you can find anything that is found on board the dying mega ships. Everything from huge generators, coolers, industrial mixers, kitchen sinks and sofas to unused toilet paper and peper and saltcellars can be found here. Nothing is left unused. If you need a life boat or a life jacket, that's the place to search. Jan Møller Hansen Chittagong, February 2012

Marine Recycling in Chittagong

Marine recycling in Chittagong is a gigantic operation. Nearly 97 perc ...

Updated: Feb 13, 2012 3:22am PST

Cox's Bazaar and Teknaf : A few impressions from Cox's Bazaar, fishing communities and Rohingyas in Teknaf. Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, February 2012

Cox's Bazaar and Teknaf

A few impressions from Cox's Bazaar, fishing communities and Rohingyas ...

Updated: Feb 20, 2012 5:07am PST

Impressions from Bangladesh :

Impressions from Bangladesh

Updated: May 16, 2012 8:49am PST

The King of Bauls : Lalon Shah was a Bengali saint, mystic poet, song composer, social reformer and secular thinker. His works and ideology have an immense influence on Bengali culture. Many of his poems and songs have simple messages, but the appeal is universal. Lalon Shah had no education, but his songs can educate the most educated of minds throughout the world. He has become an iconic figure for practicing religious tolerance and secularism. His philosophy has inspired many poets and social and religious thinkers, including Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Allen Ginsberg and many others. His disciples live in all over Bangladesh and in West Bengal. Lalon Shah was born around 1774 and lived for 116 years until his death in 1890. It was believed that he was born of Hindu Kayastha parents in what today is known as Kushtia in Bangladesh. One day he contracted the virulent type of small pox and was abandoned at the banks of the Ganges river. A man from a local Muslim weaver community picked him up and saved his life. Lalon grew up much inspired by a local Baul musician. Lalon Shah was against religious conflict and violence and always hold a common space for all religions. The mainstream of religious life in Bengal, Hindu or Muslim, has always had a parallel marginalised counterpart - that of the lower class - the outcast and excluded, who were rebelling against all fundamentalist strictures. The culture of silence takes forms through the Baul-Phokir faith and expression. Lalon always remained silent about his past. He did not believe in classes or castes of the fragmented and hierarchical society. Lalon Shah is popularly known as The Man of Heart and has thousands of followers, not at least among the poor and excluded people in society. Lalon Shah is regarded as the "King of Bauls". Today's local politicians and political parties, businessmen and other influential people often want to misuse Lalon Shah for their own benefit, because the popularity of Lalon Shah is deeply rooted with the people. But Lalon Shah has many true and faithful followers. Lalon Shah, the true philosopher and artist, exists on his own and in his own right. Twice a year, large festivals are organised at his tomb in Kushtia with thousands of participants. Here you can see a few impressions from the remembrance of the King of Bauls, which was held at his native home of Kushtia in the month of Falgun (February-March). This exihibit is from the Remembrance of Lalon Shah in Falgun 2012. Jan Møller Hansen Kushtia, March 2012

The King of Bauls

Lalon Shah was a Bengali saint, mystic poet, song composer, social ref ...

Updated: Mar 12, 2012 8:05am PST

The Girl :

The Girl

Updated: Mar 23, 2012 4:11am PST

Bangladesh: In Black and White : A few impressions from Bangladesh - the world is often more black and white than you might think. Dhaka, May 2012 Jan Møller Hansen

Bangladesh: In Black and White

A few impressions from Bangladesh - the world is often more black and ...

Updated: Nov 04, 2012 5:39am PST

Work : In Bangladesh, millions of women, children and men work long hours, without safety measures and for very low salaries. People are often being exploited on industrials sites and in workshops, where dangerous and hazardous work is undertaken without much concern for the workers. Here you can see a few impressions from work that relate to ship breaking, iron melting, brick kilns, machinery repair, recycling of garbage, metal and plastic, prostitution and other kinds of work. A worker often earns 1 – 3 dollar a day depending on the type of work and the employer. The employers, who often do not care much about labour rights, are influential business men and politicians. Politics and business are often closely linked. It has also been documented that a number of large international companies produce items for the international marked by using sub-suppliers, who do not respect basic labour rights. Some major international companies do however often treat the workers relatively better – providing higher wages, lunch and improved facilities and working conditions. But this is still the exception rather than the rule. Trade unions are weak and not much respected by politicians and employers. Trade unions are not allowed in export processing zones. Some people are saying that the comparative advantages of the industry in Bangladesh are the low salaries and the weak enforcement of basic labour laws and environmental standards. In Bangladesh, you can treat workers and the environment like nowhere else. Poor people and the environment are paying the price for the economic growth and for the wealth of the elite and the growing middle-class. Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, May 2012

Work

In Bangladesh, millions of women, children and men work long hours, wi ...

Updated: May 17, 2012 9:18pm PST

Wonderful Copenhagen : Copenhagen Gay Pride 2012

Wonderful Copenhagen

Copenhagen Gay Pride 2012

Updated: Sep 11, 2012 12:17pm PST

Portraits Copenhagen :

Portraits Copenhagen

Updated: Feb 03, 2013 11:59am PST

Random Shots - Bangladesh :

Random Shots - Bangladesh

Updated: Sep 11, 2012 2:50pm PST

CPH Live: Sussi & Leo : The popular couple Sussi and Leo during a live concert at Damhus Kroen in Copenhagen. 5th October 2012.

CPH Live: Sussi & Leo

The popular couple Sussi and Leo during a live concert at Damhus Kroen ...

Updated: Feb 05, 2013 6:29am PST

Copenhagen Rocks : Images from rock concerts at Amager Bio and BETA in Copenhagen. Taken during 2012-2013.

Copenhagen Rocks

Images from rock concerts at Amager Bio and BETA in Copenhagen. Tak ...

Updated: Mar 06, 2013 2:58am PST

Being One with Your Guitar :

Being One with Your Guitar

Updated: Nov 29, 2012 12:29pm PST

Graveyard of Giants - Special Edition :

Graveyard of Giants - Special Edition

Updated: Nov 05, 2012 12:53pm PST

Grandma's Album : Grandma has passed 96 years and is still very sharp. Here are a few shots from her photo album. Jan Møller Hansen Copenhagen January 2013

Grandma's Album

Grandma has passed 96 years and is still very sharp. Here are a few sh ...

Updated: Jan 12, 2013 12:50pm PST

Shamsul : Shamsul Hoque is 30 years old and from Thakurgaon in North-eastern Bangladesh. Shamsul had a shop where he repaired TVs and electronics. He was doing business together with a friend, who had a tailor shop next door. Business went okay for Shamsul, and he started lending a bit of money to his friend who was in trouble. After some time Shamsul realised that his friend was not willing to repay the loan. The shop that his friend occupied also belonged to Shamsul, and the friend did not want to pay for electricity and water either. Shamsul was not happy with the situation. In the beginning, the two were best friends, but then Shamsul’s friend got married and things started to change. The relation between Shamsul and his friend became more and more problematic. One night Shamsul was sleeping in his shop. It was dark, and suddenly his friend came into the room during night and threw a bucket of acid over him. The acid came all over Shamsul’s body and went deep into his eyes. The incidence happened one night in April 2007. Shamsul cannot remember which date it was. Shamsul was rushed to the hospital in Dineshpur - the Medical College. His condition was very severe, and the hospital was not able to treat him properly and to keep him alive. More that 60 per cent of his body had been seared by the strong acid. Some people from the non-governmental organisation BRAC had heard about the case, and they came to the hospital and got Shamsul transported to the City Hospital in Dhaka city. Shamsul was kept alive at the City Hospital, and after some time he was transferred to the Acid Survivors’ Foundation in Dhaka. Here they were able to save his life and get him through the critical time. Shamsul’s friend, who threw acid at him, had in the meantime gone to India. But after some time his friend came back to Thakurgaon so that he could continue with his business. After one week of the incidence, a police case was filed against Shamsul’s friend, but police did not want to take the case further. The police told Shamsul and his family that it was too late to file such a case. So after some time they gave up. Long time ago, BRAC had also filed a case against his friend. Apparently it had gone to the High Court, but Shamsul was not quite sure. Shamsul did not think that anything would happen. Now it was five years ago, and his friend was still living with his family and doing business in Thakurgaon - so why should anything happen to him now? There were hundred thousands of unsolved court cases in Bangladesh so he was convinced that nothing would ever happen to his friend. He was just praying to Allah. Shamsul still do not know exactly why his friend threw acid at him. He borrowed his friend 2000 taka (25 USD), which he did not want to repay. Maybe that was one reason. The other reason could be that his friend was jealous at him. Shamsul had bought a small piece of land where he built a wooden hut. His electronic repair shop was doing fine, and after some time he managed to replace the wooden hut with a tin hut. Later on, this tin hut was then turned into a real building. He was doing fine, but his friend got jealous. Also one of the neighbours, who was living next to Shamsul’s new plot, did not like him. One day when they were playing football, the neighbour and his friend did not accept a defeat against Shamsul’s team. A quarrel broke out, and they became enemies. Shamsul thinks that this is another reason for why his friend threw acid at him. Maybe the neighbour was also involved in the acid attack, because now he and his friend are doing business together. Shamsul is married and has one son. He got married in January 2007, just three months before he was attacked with acid. His son is now three years old. Shamsul tells that his wife wants to stay with him, but that her family do not allow that. His wife and son now live with his family-in-law, who do not allow them to see Shamsul. Shamsul now lives with his parents.

Shamsul

Shamsul Hoque is 30 years old and from Thakurgaon in North-eastern Ban ...

Updated: Jan 22, 2013 1:53am PST

The Basket of Random Shots from Bangladesh :

The Basket of Random Shots from Bangladesh

Updated: Jan 18, 2013 9:38am PST

The Collapse of Utopia : A few impressions from a visit to Chernobyl and Pripyat in Ukraine, 10-13 March 2013. When Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded on 26th April 1986 1:23 AM, Chernobyl and Pripyat became the greatest man-made disaster in World history. The Chernobyl Power Complex was considered the power house of the Soviet Union until the disaster happened. Four nuclear reactors where in operation and a fifth one was under construction but was never completed. Pripyat city was built to house the workers and their families. At its height the city had some 50.000 inhabitants. The city was a model town with all modern facilities one could imagine. It was one of the best planned cities in the entire Soviet Union. The average age was 27 years. Top modern housing was free and everybody had secured jobs. There were kinder gardens, schools, hospital, swimming pool, music school, amusement park and many other facilities for the children and their parents. Contrary to most other places, there were plenty of goods on the shelves in the department stores. The city had great sport facilities, post office, railway station, hospital and a factory, which officially made cassette tapes. In reality, it was a top secret factory producing military devices. The gigantic human and technical engineering project became the biggest failure of modern history. The consequences of the disaster are far from over. Chernobyl and Pripyat was the place where scientists and communist ideologists created the Human Utopia. It was the modern times and the future where science, technology and ideology ruled over Man.

The Collapse of Utopia

A few impressions from a visit to Chernobyl and Pripyat in Ukraine, 10 ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2013 1:08am PST

Copenhagen: Persian Decadence & Subconscious Uprising :

Copenhagen: Persian Decadence & Subconscious Uprising

Updated: Feb 04, 2013 11:24pm PST

Millan & Charlotte : By coincidence I met Millan and Charlotte on Saturday night 2nd February 2013. Low Light Photography in the winter darkness of Copenhagen. Sometimes magic just happens. Jan

Millan & Charlotte

By coincidence I met Millan and Charlotte on Saturday night 2nd Februa ...

Updated: Feb 04, 2013 1:30pm PST

When the Party becomes Black and White :

When the Party becomes Black and White

Updated: Feb 04, 2013 5:52am PST

Istanbul : A few impressions from Istanbul in Turkey. Istanbul is more than just beautiful mosques and churches and fancy boutiques. Many people are living a tough life in the old parts of the large city. Images from 6th to 10th March 2013

Istanbul

A few impressions from Istanbul in Turkey. Istanbul is more than just ...

Updated: Mar 17, 2013 6:11am PST

Kathmandu Monochrome :

Kathmandu Monochrome

Updated: May 05, 2013 8:52am PST

Featured Galleries

Bangladesh: In Black and White : A few impressions from Bangladesh - the world is often more black and white than you might think. Dhaka, May 2012 Jan Møller Hansen

Bangladesh: In Black and White

A few impressions from Bangladesh - the world is often more black and ...

Updated: Nov 04, 2012 2:39pm CET

Neither Man nor Woman - Transgenders in Bangladesh : The transgenders in Bangladesh, and in other parts of South Asia, are locally known as Hijras. In the West, they are known as hermaphrodites or eunuchs. The transgenders have been part of the South Asian landscape for thousands of years. The transgenders are born male but grow up feeling like and dressing as women. Marked out because of their sexual difference, they are a despised and neglected minority. It is not that easy to define a hijra. There are differences between the cultural definition and the variety of individual lives and experiences. Hijras are culturally defined in terms of their traditional occupation as performers on auspicious occasions, but not all hijras perform. Some hijras see them themselves as neither man nor woman, but there are also many who very feel and behave like women. There is also the definition that relates to physical sexuality. Many think that most hijras are hermaphrodites, but that is not true. Most hijras are probably "made" rather than "born that way". Becoming a real hijra often means going through the emasculation ritual by removal of the penis and testicles. Ideally, the emasculation operation is performed by a hijra called a dai ma (midwife), a clear and strong symbolic statement of the emasculation as rebirth. The emasculation ritual transforms an impotent man into a potentially powerful person, The emasculation operation is done together with various rituals and blessings, which is not described here in detail. Some is of the opinion that the emasculation distinguishes real hijras from the fake. The emasculation is the major source of the ritual power of the hijras. It is the source of their uniqueness and the most authentic way of identifying oneself as a hijra and of being so identified by the larger society. It is the emasculation that links the hijras to two of the most powerful figures in the Hindu religion, Shiva and the Mother Goddess, and it is emasculation that sanctions the hijras’ ritual role as performers at marriages and births. As ritual performers, they are viewed as vehicles of the divine power of the Mother Goddess, which transforms their impotence into the power of generativity. The faith in the powers of the hijras rests on the Hindu belief in the Shakti - the potency of the dynamic female forces of creation that the hijras, as vehicles of the Mother Goddess, represents. The performances are the most respectable and prestigious way to earn a living within the hijra community and an important source of income of the hijras’ claim to respect the larger society. The sexual ambiguity of the hijas as impotent men - eunuchs - represents a loss of virility, and this undoubtedly is the major cause of the fear that they inspire. The hijras can praise the good qualities of families, but they also can insult them; they can bless one’s house with prosperity and fertility, but they also can curse it with infertility and other kinds of misfortunes. The hijras are treated with a combination of mockery and fear. The hijras often engage in homosexual prostitution. Many hijras are both performers and prostitutes. The hijras are fighting for their rights, and they want to be treated equally among other people. They want others to know that they are also normal human beings. They want to be allowed to lead a normal life like others. The hijras claim that others do not understand their life, gender and sexuality. They want the society and the government to recognise them with equally rights as other human beings. No public institutions, private companies or individuals want to employ hijras, and they do not get admitted to schools or colleges. They have limited access to legal and health services. It is nearly impossible for hijras to vote or to get a passport. Although the hijras often provoke horror or ridicule, they have traditionally had a role to play on the margins of society as entertainers and as bestowers of curses and blessings. They are often surrounded by fear and superstition, and sometimes they are hired to remove bad luck for new buildings under construction, to bring good luck for new-born babies or to entertain at weddings. The hijras are living at the bottom of society and their traditional ways of making a living are under threat. With television and many other forms of entertainment, their roles as performers and entertainers in local communities are diminishing. They often make a living by walking around the streets of Dhaka and other cities collecting money from shop keepers, bus and train passengers or by prostitution. The hijras suffer from social stigma and are discriminated against. The hijras live in small closed groups led by a guru (teacher). Few are born hermaphrodites and some undergo ritual emasculation at puberty or as adult. The hijras have a very strong sense of identity and belonging to the group. The hijras are usually excluded and abandoned by their own families and relatives. Many people do not like transgenders - they feel uncomfortable in their company, and their traditional perceptions on traditional gender roles are often seriously questioned. When I meet the hijras in Dhaka and in other cities in Bangladesh, I can clearly feel their proudness and great dignity being hijra and different from other people. Here you can meet some of the hijras, who are great people. Many good shots are also kept on my hard disk not to offend anyone :) Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, March 2012

Neither Man nor Woman - Transgenders in Bangladesh

The transgenders in Bangladesh, and in other parts of South Asia, are ...

Updated: Jun 17, 2012 12:47pm CET

Children of Bangladesh : It is believed that some 40 million people or 28 percent of the population in Bangladesh live in slums - many of them are children. In Bangladesh there are more than 60 million children - half of these children are living below the poverty line. One fourth of the children - 15 million - are deprived of at least four basic needs among the following: food, education, health, information, shelter, water and sanitation. Only 18 percent of slum children go to some kind of school. It is also believed that there are some 2.5 million child labours after being trafficked and some 7.5 million working children in Bangladesh. Social norms and economic realities mean that child labour is widely accepted and very common. Many families rely on the income generated by their children for survival, so child labour is often highly valued. Additionally, employers often prefer to employ children because they are cheaper and considered to be more compliant and obedient than adults. When children are forced to work, they are often denied their rights to education, leisure and play. A survey conducted by Unicef in 2012 has documented that 95 out of 1000 children living in slums die before they get five years. In Bangladesh, 22 percent of infants are born underweight. In this exhibit you can meet a few children from Bangladesh, Most of them are living in slums in Dhaka city or in other parts of Bangladesh. Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, May 2012

Children of Bangladesh

It is believed that some 40 million people or 28 percent of the popula ...

Updated: May 18, 2012 5:56pm CET

Acid Survivors : Acid attacks in Bangladesh are usually the result of land dísputes, rejected marriage proposals, refusal or inability to pay dowry, resistance of being trafficked as sex worker or simply the desire for revenge. The overwhelming majority of victims are young women and children, but men are also increasingly among the victims. Permanently disfigured and psychologically scarred, survivors are often shunned from their local communities, making it impossible for them to find work or get married. It is estimated that from 1999 and until 2010 nearly 3000 women, children and men in Bangladesh fell victim to acid attacks. Though the rate of acid violence is in decline, the number of attacks remains alarmingly high. Statistics are never fully reliable - I just know that every time I went there were new victims. They more or less came in on a daily basis. In this exhibit you can met a few acid victims, which are among the most brave people I have ever come across. My sincere thanks goes to the people from Acid Survivors' Foundation for doing great work in helping the acid victims. Through this serie of photographs, I have tried to tell a few short stories of incredible strong and proud people who want to continue their life despite being victims of terrible crimes. Jan Møller Hansen Dhaka, May 2012

Acid Survivors

Acid attacks in Bangladesh are usually the result of land dísputes, re ...

Updated: Jan 31, 2013 7:03pm CET