"Photography as a Voice: Rohingya Stories of Resilience" with Salim Khan (Bangladesh)

"You know, I got afraid sometimes, as a father being, when you know they will also live the same lives. She will maybe also face the same problems what I'm facing. So it's really hard. It's really hard. They make me happy and also make me sad, because if you know she will stay here and spend the life like me, then the dreams will not come true.

So I'm requesting to the world, please try to help us to reach our dreams. We want to stay in this world as other human are living in the world. We are also alive. We don't want a luxurious life, but to live like a human being with dignity."

Intro:

Greetings everyone and welcome to the Camera Café Show, where we, apart from brewing up inspiration, we also explore the transformative power of photography in telling untold stories. I’m your host, Tom Jacob, and in today’s episode, we’re speaking with an extraordinary photographer whose work shines a light on one of the world’s most overlooked and little-known humanitarian crises. Mohammed Salim Khan is a Rohingya photographer living in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, the largest refugee camp on the planet with more than 1,000,000 displaced Rohingya people who fled their home country Myanmar. Despite the overwhelming challenges his community faces still now, and where he’s also a helping hand as a volunteer firefighter—ranging from raging fires during the dry season, devastating floods during Monsoon season, to the lack of basic healthcare and education—Salim uses his lens to document their strength, resilience, and humanity.

Apart from being published internationally and running various exhibitions, Salim’s incredible work has also earned him, together with 3 colleagues, the prestigious 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award for Asia&The Pacific, which is given out by the United Nations. Today we’ll discuss his life, his journey and also his vision of empowering others in his community to document their lives through photography. In support of his mission, we’ve launched a GoFundMe campaign -“Give a Camera, Give a Voice”- to help raise funds for cameras and photography equipment to run workshops with Rohingya youths. If you feel inspired, check out the link in the show notes to find out how you can contribute. Stay tuned as we dive into Salim’s powerful story and learn how together we can help amplify the voices of the Rohingya people. Let's get rolling.

Tom: Good evening, Salim, there far away in Bangladesh. How is your evening?

Salim: My evening was good.

Tom: You spend some time with your family?

Salim: I didn't spend time with my family because I was busy with my work and I did some interview to some victim who came here recently to the last month. So, I was busy with my work and I just finished one hour ago. I just pick up my equipment camera and something else. Then I come to the bazaar to talk with you because inside the camp, there is no good network.

Tom: We will have to do another interview and I want to see them. Your three daughters and your wife.

Salim: Yeah, well, yeah, we can do that next time. Next time we can try because, you know if I need to take them with me for the interview, I need to take them outside of the camp because where is the good network, I mean, Wi Fi inside the camp, there is a very weak network.

Tom: No problem. There is always time for, another talk. Salim, let's start a bit. We go a bit way back, I think in 1992, your parents fled to from Myanmar to Bangladesh live in the Kutupalong camp which is in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, which is one of the largest refugee camps that exist now, like 24 square kilometers and an over 900,000 Rohingya refugee people.

How was your life there growing up?

Salim: Our life is here very tough because, you know compared to other refugees around the world, we are in a bad situation because we are living in Bangladesh. And this country they have also a lots of problem in their own side. Over here, we are refugee. So that's why we are not getting better opportunities like other refugees around the world.

So, that's why I can't say our life is very tough here. You know in our life, during the dry season, I mean cool season, there is fire, there has happened so many fire incidents in our years. And then during the monsoon, we face challenge with flood.

And for the health issue and education, there is also problem. You know, we don't have the high-level education here. We have only here six to seven class six to seven. For the medical issues, we don't have high level treatment. We have just primary level treatment here. So, if there is any major issues, we can't get the facilities very easily. It's very challenging for us.

Tom: I cannot imagine, it must be very hard. It must be very hard as a child growing up and it must be very hard as an adult growing up there. What are the most difficult challenges your community faces there Salim?

Salim: You know, my parents become refugee 1991. So, me and my family, we are here more than three decades in refugee camps, and there is nothing sort as a solution. So, think a person is in a refugee camp more than three decades without any chance. So how is the life of them?

Can you can you think about that? Can you? Guess how is the life

Tom: I think nobody of us can guess how is this life.

Salim: So, you know this is really really hard for the Rohingya refugees because everyone want a solution for this because we have the land, we have the country, that's Myanmar.

The government is not happy to give freedom to us like as other ethnic, you know, there is many ethnics in Myanmar. So, we are the only one that's Rohingya. They are not given facilities to stay like other ethnics. And they have been torturing to us systematically.

The 2017 the genocide to our people and that's announced by the international community and many more international organizations who work for the human rights wars and many more they announced against the government. You know the ICC international crime court? There is a case for the Myanmar government already.

Over there last month, last August, this year, they also killed more than 300 peoples and around 10, 000 people became refugee again in Bangladesh. You know, you can say to the, to the people, I can say one thing that we are the people who are very traumatized and who have the power to learn every single thing.

Tom: I think you're maybe traumatized, but you are very, very strong people, Salim.

Salim: Yes, strong. I can say that because, you know, if, this is other ethnic in the world, if you don't get the facilities for the education, the facilities for the freedom, if you don't get the rights compared to other ethnic environment, and in Bangladesh refugee camp, and there is also so many rule and regulation for us.

Tom: Tonight, on the podcast, Salim, you're speaking for your people.

Salim: Thank you.

Tom: Salim, what is a typical day for you? Because you are a photographer, but you're also firefighter. So how you balance your day?

Salim: Volunteer firefighter trainer. I'm a trainer. It is depending on the season. When the dry season comes, I probably tend to volunteer about the fire safety and rescue. For the monsoon season, I provided to them about flood safety and rescue. And this is also a part of my life. You know I already told you that we face the problem from both sides, from fire and floods.

Photography is the thing I do every day. And I tell the history of my own people. Because my purpose is that which is we are facing in refugee camp, the problem of crisis. I'm trying to show other communities for understanding their kinds of lives and the situation of here.

Tom: That is so important Salim. You know, you talk about photography. Let's pick up this side of our interview. I think you started like 10 years ago with photography?

Salim: Yeah. It's 10 years ago. I had been working as a photographer for my community. And you know, with my photographs, many people are able to understand about our life. With that sometimes I become happy, but not with the histories. Histories are always sad and horrible.

Many types of histories I have been covering. But, when people know what is happening here, what is going on, what is the life situation of the refugees in Bangladesh. When people are able to understand, then I am doing my job here properly to spread and explore our crisis and our life situation.

That is my happiness.

Tom: Salim, you are documenting the hardship of your people. What are they going through on a daily basis?

Salim: I'm doing documenting, to show the crisis and the problem in our life. You know I'm living here, and I understand what I need to cover. I'm covering according to that. You know, last month 5 August, there was a major crisis with this Myanmar military. More than three hundred Rohingya killed and then again more than 10, 000 people became refugee. There is, you know, injured people, there are there is people who lost husband, there is people who lost child and many more beloved. So I have been covered those stories.

Tom: Salim, the stories you normally capture are stories from heartfelt difficulties. Is there ever a time you capture maybe a happy story, something good that happened in your community?

Salim: Yeah, I capture those stories too. Normally you know, sometimes I becomes very sad when I capture the histories, but I become happy when I am able to reach their histories to the peoples in the media, then I'm happy with that. Because of my photos many people are knowing about our history. When people know and people think also for the Rohingya community and try to give supports, then I become happy with that. Then I think I'm doing the right job I should to do. I need to do. Then I'm happy.

Tom: You see, a bit a next question I had, Salim. Because your work has been published in magazines, online, you have had exhibitions. You feel with all of this that your pictures are going around the world, it is making some impact or you see there is some change now in your community, due to your pictures?

Salim: Yes. Many things became possible since years ago. I have been working more around 10 years, but if you think before 2017, I mean, seven years ago many media, they don't know about our lives, and many people do not know probably who we are and why we became the refugee .

So, because of my work publishing to so many national, international newspapers and exhibitions, because of that, it explained our situation to so many around the world. And people started helping to us. People are trying to understand why we are here, how many people we are here, what kind of services we are receiving as refugees, what kinds of torture we faced in Myanmar, what kinds of difficulties we're facing, and our history. Many people are able to understand now and a change is possible.

Tom: I hope also this podcast can bring a little bit of help really from my heart. Let's go to a bit photography gear, but what you using now to take pictures Salim?

Salim: I use Nikon and I have also another camera that is Sony. I use both cameras. I really love to capture the photos with Nikon because Nikon, I can capture the very good portraits. When I need to do video, I use my Sony.

Tom: And I suppose when you started 10 years ago, you already had a camera or you used your phone?

Salim: No, no, no, no, 10 years ago I used the mobile phone. And the last seven years or so, I have been using digital cameras.

They are light to carry too, which is important for me. You know, I work in 33 camps, so I have an opportunity to take them with me on my back. There is also some challenging moments, you know refugee camps, where lots of people are living together, many things can happen. Maybe if I do some good work, then some people might think things that's not good. So it is challenging sometimes. But I'm doing my work continuously, because I'm thinking this is important for my community.

Tom: Salim, if you, for example, want to buy another camera, this you can do also in the camp?

Salim: You know, the camera I'm using right now, a friend buys from a website. I got as a gift from people who really love my work and what is I'm doing for my people. They know that I don't have too much money to buy a camera. So they got me as a gift.

So if I need to buy another one, you know, it's really, really tough for me to buy because, you know I don't got too much money for my work. If anyone is doing solidarity for any human beings, you never ever ask financial demands for your work. Sometimes I get some from the media and exhibitions. I have also family here and I need to take care of them.

And, you know, for one person only we get like 10 or sometimes 12 dollars for a month for the food. It's really hard to manage. So, when I get something from my work, this is helpful for my family. I'm spending it on my family. So, for the camera, you know, that's really a huge amount to buy. It's really hard for me.

Tom: We will see by the time we bring out this podcast , I will have a think of how we can maybe you with people listening. Maybe we set up a GoFund. I will try to figure something out.

Salim: If you make the GoFundMe, I don't want anything, I mean, what I have that's enough for me. But you can help my people. You know, the recently new refugees, around 10, 000 people, there are suffering here now, because they're not getting support humanitarian support like we do who live many years here.

We are getting some humanitarian support from the NGOs. But these new people, they really need support for the medical treatment as many they are injured. So, if you are if you can, you can do for them, not for me.

Tom: Salim, if we help you, you can make the pictures and you can show the hardship.

Salim, you talked a moment about United Nations, so let's walk then to the big news part of our interview. Last year, together with three colleagues, you were awarded the Nansen Award. I'm going to read this one moment: The Nansen Refugee Award is an award issued annually by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to an individual or group or organization in recognition of outstanding service to the cause of refugees, displaced or stateless people.

How did you feel when you got the news that you won this Nansen Award, Salim?

Salim: When I got the news about that, I was very happy. In a time when we are facing thousands of challenges in our refugee lives, I achieved a big world class award for my outstanding photography and history telling. I was happy with that, and I was very happy that people are now knowing that we are Rohingya, and how we are suffering for decades.

For the award, I was very happy, but I was more happy that people are knowing about the histories of Rohingya. That was the more happiest for me.

Tom: Can you tell me a bit about work you presented to the United Nations Salim? Because you made photography and your other colleagues did photography and poetry, I think.

Salim: Oh, sorry. Can you tell me again?

Tom: I see you went outside now. There is more light now, because the light went out while we were recording. I suppose that light cuts happen frequently.

Salim: Yes. Where I was that was our shop and they already closed and I come to another place for talking with you. It's really hard to make a meeting when I need to do sometimes.

Tom: Salim, can you explain a bit about the work for the United Nations and why they gave you the Nansen award, together with your colleagues?

Salim: Yes. I worked as a photographer, and history teller, and they are doing the same things, telling our stories. All we are working in the community development, and we always care for our community. And we were just very pleased that now we can do something for the community in a positive sense and that people recognize us and people know about us.

Tom: We talked already about this a day Salim. Since you don't have a nationality, or better said, they don't want to give you a nationality, you don't have a passport. So you could not go to the ceremony to take the award.

Salim: Yes. It was really hard for us and we were a bit upset. You know others who got the Nansen refugee award with us, from others countries and other communities, we got the award from the Asia and the Pacific, they all were there. We are unable to go there because we didn't have a nationality for Myanmar or from Bangladesh.

We we're unable to pick up our award from that ceremony. But here the UN council managed a little ceremony for us and hand out the certificate. You know, the high commissioner for the refugees, Filippo Grandi, he already told that he was very sad and very upset that we are not present at that ceremony, because everyone else was there. It was very upset for us.

Tom: Salim, living in the refugee camp, for you personally, what are some of your dreams as a photographer?

Salim: My dream is that I want to do work like other photographers around the world. They are going where there is a crisis. They go where is needed to make pictures. So, my dream is that. I'd like to help other communities through my photography, that's my dream. And I would be happy doing that. I always try to do my best, because you know, I can feel and I can understand what people go through, as a person that never ever has seen my people’s country.We have lots of dreams here.

I know that not all dreams become true. Only sometimes. I got the Nansen Refugee Award which was a real surprise in my life. But, we need many things changed in our life. So for dreaming, sometimes, yeah, as a human being, we have also right for the dreams.

Tom: We have to change the world a bit Salim and your dreams. We have to go step by step. We will get there if everybody helps a bit.

You ever think of doing maybe a photography workshop in your community to show other people how to take pictures? Maybe it's their dream too?

Salim: Yeah. Yes, I have the plan and this is really important for those young people here, many also working as volunteers. They are the frontline people in every single camp. In every single camp, there are 100 male and female volunteers from the Rohingya communities who work with the site management. I provide training to them for the fire safety and flood safety now for more than six years. I have been thinking that, since they're the first responders, if something happens, they will be there and capture it.

But they don't know how to capture photos properly. So, if I provide that photography training to them, they can capture the photos and it will be helpful for the young people. That's my plan. I'll probably will teach to 10 young people five man and five women in every single camp. We have here 16 camps, so there are 1,600 volunteers in total. Among of them, I will provide photography training to 10 young people in every single camp.

Tom: You will have a lot of work teaching them and you will need many more cameras, Salim.

Salim: Yeah, yeah, they'll need many more cameras, and they'll need many more support for the training. So many things to arrange. So now I'm thinking how to do that, and I really need help from the people to make that possible.

Tom: What are you going to teach them?

Salim: I'll teach them how to capture photos and how to shoot documentary series with the photos. How to tell histories. It will be basic photography training first but it will be helpful for young people. I'm sure. There will be some positive changes for them in the community level. They have a lot of work, not only flood or fire incidents, but they also have the community development problems. So much work. But then they can capture photos and tell their own story. And then they can show that to other people, the work they made and do.

Tom: You will be like their mentor.

Salim, you are a father, you have three beautiful daughters. What future you hope for them? Maybe you hope they become also a photographer?

Salim: You know my second one, she really loves my profession. And she always makes me coffee. When I finish my work and go home, she always plays with my camera. I got a little camera from an exhibition, a digital camera, and I'm not using that one. She go wherever she like and captures everything what she loves. And then sometimes she makes such funny captures for me and my family, and always make us happy and laugh. She captures so many things, old men, dogs, whatever she likes, and she show us during our free time. She says, have a look of what I captured today. Sometimes she captured very silly things and then we make laugh with that. And she also loves that.

Tom: You know, she's going to be a better photographer than you are sure.

Salim: Yeah, I think so. I think so. Because from young age, she's trying to make pictures. I always pray for her to be a great photojournalist in this life.

Tom: I wish they will be wonderful happy when they grow up Salim.

Salim: You know, I got afraid sometimes, as a father being, when you know they will also live the same lives. She will maybe also face the same problems what I'm facing. So it's really hard. It's really hard. They make me happy and also make me sad, because if you know she will stay here and spend the life like me, then the dreams will not come true.

So I'm requesting to the world, please try to help us to, to reach our dreams. We want to stay in this world as other human are living in the world. We're also alive. We don't want a luxurious life, but to live like a human being.

Tom: I hope that we can make a little change with the podcast with everybody listening to your story.

I hope Salim, you can capture also sometimes happy stories that happen in the camp because life on a daily basis is very hard for you. You also need for yourself a bit of happy stories.

Salim: Yeah yeah, I did, I did, I did. Yeah, I did, and, you know, we have lots of culture here.

And I capture some moments like that. Those also were published last year and had an exhibition in Italy. So people see also some happiness when we are following our culture even if we have a lot of challenges.

Tom: How old is your oldest daughter now, Salim?

Salim: The first one is 10, the second one is eight and the last one is two.

Tom: In years from now, when your oldest daughter gets married you have to invite me, and I will come over to make the pictures of the wedding.

Salim: Inshallah. Inshallah yeah. Of course my friend. Sure, sure, sure, sure. If we are all alive and well, I'll inform you. Definitely, definitely.

You have also two daughters, I have three, and both as a father we can understand the feeling of being a father. And you're the lucky you have everything; your daughters can do whatever they like. Mine on the other hand, they are unable to do so many things because we are refugees. We don't have the facilities or even something simple as peace. I am like you, we are different in a way, but for our children, the heart is same, the pain is same, the feeling is same.

Tom: Salim is there something more you want to explain the people to finish this interview? Maybe for people that didn't know about the Rohingya community before.

Salim: Well, we are the indigenous people of Myanmar. The Myanmar government has been torturing us many decades now. So now we are here in Bangladesh, with more than 1 million refugees.

We are here in Bangladesh, but the Myanmar government military with their genocide against us, still is going on, like it happened in 2017. Even last month 300 Rohingya were killed by the Myanmar army. They used drones and many other weapons, and killed people trying to cross from Myanmar to Bangladesh. They attacked the boats full with people.

So because of a government, we are suffering many decades. We just ask to the world to please try to help us and change our lives. We are also people who do not want to live like this. So we really need the help from the world, from every community, to solve our issues.

Tom: Salim, where you can find for yourself a bit of happiness?

Salim: It's really a nice word. It’s a nice word. Happiness. You know, I was a bit happy at the time when I got the Nansen Refugee Award. Because that was a  world class event. At that time, I was happy. It is the biggest happy in my life after my family.

Tom: I am sure you are a bit happy seeing your family at the end of a long day working.

Salim: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. As a father I'm so happy with my daughters. But, you know, when I see so many things happening with my camera, and they ask questions to me. Sometimes I have no words to explain them. Sometimes I go to a corner, and I cry by myself. What is the fault of them? What is the fault of me? I just pretend like a happy person in this world when I spent the time with them somehow. I face many challenges in a day, different challenges. So, end of the day when I finish my work, end of the day, when I go to my home, I just spend the time with my family and I become happy daily like this.

Tom: I like to hear you a bit happy too.

Salim, I'm going to let you because you have to go to see your family. It's late there in Bangladesh, but I want to thank you so, so much for making the time to talk to me and to explain your story and the story of your community.

Salim: Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much. And I'm happy that you are covering my history and it will be helpful for people to understand about our life and this situation. So if anyone wants to help, it would be wonderufl. I'll do my best for my community. For my dreams, you know, I hope it can be fulfilled one day. If all the people wishes become through then also the reality of my dreams. Thank you. Thank you for your time.

Tom: I hope everybody listened to these words and we can make a little change there. Salim. thank you very much. We will stay in contact and have a nice evening still now with your family.

Salim: Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much

Tom: Give them all my best greetings.

Salim: I will.

Tom: I talk to you soon, Salim. Thank you.

Salim: Thank you so much.

Tom: Bye.

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Outro:

Thank you for joining us on this moving journey with Mohammed Salim Khan, whose powerful photography and words capture the heart of the Rohingya struggle. Through this talk with him, we’ve been given a rare glimpse into the daily hardships faced by his community in the refugee camps of Bangladesh. As we heard today, Salim’s mission is more than just photography—he’s using his craft to amplify the voices of his people and bring their untold stories to the world.

If you feel inspired to support Salim’s efforts, we’ve launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise $3,000 for cameras and equipment to train other Rohingya refugees in photography. If you’d like to donate, or even send an old camera, you can find more details in our show notes, on the gofundme page or on our own website. Let’s hope together, we can help empower this community to continue sharing their daily stories of hardship with the world.

 Thank you for listening, and as always, don’t forget to subscribe and share this episode with anyone who might be moved by Salim’s story. Until next time and keep finding the beauty in every story.