Dacca, Bangladesh – La Maison du Camp de Genève where Md. Emon, now 18, was barely large enough to hold a bed. His family of seven people live there. In some cases, parts like this host up to three generations, with narrow passages separating housing.
It is life for Emon and most of the Biharis, the Ourdou language who migrated from the state of the Northeast Indian Bihar in the 1940s to what was then Eastern Pakistan – now Bangladesh. Today, most live in 116 camps across the country. The Geneva camp, in the center of Dacca, the largest in the camps, is home to between 30,000 and 50,000 Biharis.
EMOM’s education ended in the 10th year. Young people from the Geneva camp are not easily admitted to higher schools and universities.
“I stopped trying,” he said.
Emon manages a clothing store the size of a box. Most of his friends live in the Geneva camp.