Investigating the Bengalis of Pakistan

Situation

Millions of Bengalis migrated to Pakistan following the secession of Bangladesh and the formation of an independent state. However, in the absence of clear nationalization policies at the time, many of these migrants—and now their descendants, spanning three generations—continue to live in Pakistan as stateless individuals. Lacking formal recognition, they are denied access to basic rights and services. Their children are unable to obtain identity cards, enroll in educational institutions, or apply for formal employment. As a result, the community has been systematically marginalized, often confined to informal labor and low-paying, insecure jobs.

Assignment

This project was undertaken as part of the course Recovering Ethnicities, where I focused on this particular community to highlight their struggles, traditions, and everyday lives. The aim was to bring visibility to a group that often remains in the shadows—overlooked and undocumented—while fostering empathy and deeper understanding through storytelling and engagement.

Approach

I began by researching the history and background of the community. Through a connection with a houseworker, I was able to visit Bengali Para—one of the largest Bengali informal settlements in the city. There, I spent time speaking with residents, listening to their stories, and observing daily life. These conversations offered invaluable insights into their lived realities, challenges, and resilience. I also spent considerable time with Bengali women, who had to resort to becoming maids at households because they had no other prospects.

Results

The project culminated in the creation of a photo series and a journalistic piece that shed light on the systemic marginalization of the Bengali community. It highlighted how, generation after generation, they are pushed deeper into poverty—trapped in a cycle of exclusion. Despite repeated promises by political parties to grant them citizenship, the vast majority remain stateless, denied their rights in a city where many were born and have raised their own children. The project also highlighted the struggles of young girls with promising grades who had to drop out after the 8th grade because of lack of documentation, and who ended up working as house maids.

This project was commissioned by and performed by Abiha, a member of the Proportion Global community. If you’ve enjoyed reading this case and want to dive deeper, we’d love to hear from you and we will connect you with relevant designers like Abiha, who worked on this project Contact Us