In Dinajpur, Bangladesh, women spend 12-hour shifts standing in a drainage channel from the Barapukuria coal mine, the country's largest coal project. They collect coal sludge washed out during mining, selling it to brick kilns for around Tk450 to Tk500 per maund. Each team of 25 to 30 women earns roughly Tk7,000 to Tk8,000 per day, split equally among members. The work has no contracts, safety gear, or official recognition, but has run for two decades through self-organized rotations. This informal economy emerged after the mine expanded and wastewater flows increased. Women established the group system, fixed roles, and strict rotation schedules without any NGO or government support. The coal sludge, considered waste by the mine, becomes fuel for local brick kilns. The story highlights the hidden costs of fossil fuel projects and the resilience of communities living in their shadow, raising questions about labor rights, environmental justice, and the true accounting of carbon infrastructure.
