Heroes by Erberto Zani

Acid attack survivors in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh most of the people called them “monsters” or, sometimes, “victims”. But they prefer to be considered “survivors”. For me are heroes.
Shambhu Karmakar, 24 y.o. (village of Poradia, Upazila-Belabo, District Narsingdi). Shambhu Karmakar has been attack by his step brother, due to family dispute, on 01 January 2010. He was unable file any police case in this incident because of the pressure of his family. His step brother escaped from home after attack and never back to home. Right eye, nose, throat and chest of Shambu have been affected by the attack.

Acid attack survivors in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh most of the people called them “monsters” or, sometimes, “victims”.But they prefer to be considered “survivors”. For me are HEROES.

Disfigured with industrial acid by neighbours, relatives or boyfriends-husbands for economic reasons or senseless jealousies, these people are forced to survive for years at borders of society.

Often they are considered guilty for their look, impure creatures to leave in the shadows. Destroying the face of a person using acid, criminals don’t want kill, but they prefer erase the identity of victims by a kind of black mark to show inevitably every day to the society: is not a coincidence if many women, also years after the attack, prefer kill themself.

I worked thanks the fundamental support of Acid Survivors Foundation, active in Dacca since 1999. The photographic sequence “Heroes”, one portrait – one story, is made by straight portraits showing the effects on the skin, realized inside the survivors’ s homes and accompanied with interviews.The choice to use the portrait is not fortuitous: my idea, energetically supported by Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) and all heroes that I met in several villages of Bangladesh, is overturn the goal of criminals and show the signs of violence as a symbol of courage. A kind of hard confront against a conservative and retrograde mentality that, scared by the “different”, prefer line up with oppressors, often unpunished. In my interviews with these people, I asked the story of every single acid attack and the successive phases, and someone told me also an ispirational message for other acid survivors or people in general. Thanks to the fundamental daily work of all staff members of ASF, self-esteem of heroes reinforced: is very important intervene not only on aesthetics rebuild, but above all on psychological perspective. Now, scars are no more hidden, but proudly exhibit as a symbol of a war against the human insanity. A message to contrast these criminal attacks and a hope for hundreds victims, women men and sometimes also child.

I made an unusual post production on my photo for interpret the physical and psychological pains of these people. I re-photographed with a special lens the original pictures that I had print before on normal paper for photocopy: it’s an allusion to the condition of outcast persons, forced to live as ghosts by the same inhabitants of their villages.
Black & white as a metaphor of deep depression, described by survivors as a continue perception as their life lost any colors and sense. Slightly out of focus and deformed, visual slightly distorted, as their eyes saved can see now, after damages of acid. Surreal portraits as surreal is the violence executed.

“Heroes” is a long term project in progress: after Bangladesh, my attention will be on other countries where this kind of violence persist. The goal is realize a photography book to maintain high the public attention on these despicable attacks.

Tahmina Islam, 35 y.o. (city of Sylhet). She became an unintentional target when, in March 27th 2000, a man with whom her colleague was once involved with, attacked them on the street. This left her colleague visually impaired in one eye and Tahmina’s face and hands scalded. After several extensive surgery, also in a hospital in Italy, she started to work as Programme Officer at Acid Survivors Foundation in Dacca.

Bidhan Sarkar, 57 y.o. (city of Dacca). In December 2003, a street gang’s armed robbery in his shop. Despite Toffazal gave them all the money of his shop, the young criminals had beaten and disfigured him with one tank of acid. Now, Ahmed has disfigurement of more than 90% of his body. After several operations he can now move a little bit his arms, but he needs medical treatment twice at week in Acid Survivors Foundation Centre of Dacca.

Renu Begum Asma, 24 y.o. In 2010 the husband, drunk, decide that beat up his wife was no more enough. The acid, used for disfigure her chest and arms, is even now easy to find in industrial area outside Dacca.

Suraiya Akter, 28 y.o. (city of Mymensingh). Attacked by her husband for dowry, she had a facial disfigurement and posted her one eyesight. She denounced her aggressor, perpetrator in in prison life time, and after physical treatment and psychological service at Acid Survivors Foundation in Dhaka, she started to work as survivor ambassador for help other women in same conditions. Suraiya was award from Ministry of Women’s Affair of Bangladesh for her courage. The perpetrator convicted to life time imprisonment.

Afzal Hossein, 8 y.o. In 2011, following a quarrel for matters of land ownership with his father, the neighbors have disfigured Afzal that to the epoch it was only 2 years old. Face, abdomen, braccia and hands are deeply marked. For years the other children have isolated him/it.

Rehena Khatun, 28 y.o. When she was 21, she refused a proposal of marriage because she wanted study at University: the suitor punished her with acid. Helped by Acid Survivors Foundation, after the medical and psychological treatments, Rehana continue to study. Now she works for the NGO BRAC as technician of laboratory for analysis on the Tuberculosis. Her goal is become a bacteriologist.

Phool Mia, 50 y.o. He has been attacked in 1991. Due to demand of dowry from her sister he has been attacked by the husband of his sister. Now he is running a grocery shop and a shop of cake.

Aspia Sultana Parul, 45 y.o. In 1985, when she was 14 ears old, she has been attacked by acid in her neighbour due to refusal of love and marriage proposal.

Arfina Mymensigh, 36 y.o. Attacked by her husband, she received facial disfigurement, burn on neck, chest and both hands. The perpetrator got lifetime improsonment. After divorce from her first husband, she got married again but the new husband, after asked lot of money, left her away.

Nomita Haldar, 46 y.o. Attacked in 1982. A fatherly aged relative of Nomita often came to Nomita’s house. After few days, he was allured to Nomita, but family members of Nomita were astonished to observe the immoral behavior of him. Following his attitude, Nomita’s family warned him for disliking behavior. Nomita was attacked with acid when she was returning from school along with her father. Nomita’s father, not far, identified the perpetrator. After incident she was rushed to Khulna sadar hospital. Receiving treatment from Khulna hospital, she was referred to National Orthopedic hospital Dhaka after few months. Nomita received series of surgical development during her treatment in National Orthopedic Hospital. After attack her father lodged a case. Her perpetrator was sentenced to life time imprisonment. But, She does not know the present situation of perpetrator.
A management team of Baptist Mission School in Mirpur, Dhaka, met Nomita during treatment in hospital. After meeting, they had taken a decision regarding Nomita to admit in Baptist Mission School.
Present Condition: for more than ten years she has been working with Baptist mission School as Assistant Teacher. She is teaching in class 1-2 students. She used to apply brail system. Students are very pleased to Nomita’s teaching, affection and love. She applies different teaching methods during her teaching. In leisure time, she introduces different literatures books and games to inspire the adolescents. The faculty of Nomita’s school is very much pleased to her demonstration on teaching, patience and courage.

Shanta Islam, 35 y.o. Attacked in 1995 for refusal of marriage proposal, she has facial disfigurement and burn on neck, chest and both hands. She didn’t lodge a case against the perpetrator for fear of reprisals on her parents. Now she lives with her family and her husband is mostly caring to her. She plays a vital role to the welfare of community people.

About Erberto Zani

Erberto Zani (Italy, 1978) is a photographer, journalist and photo books designer. Since 1998 he worked as photographer in advertisement sector, especially for elevators, architectures and music portraits. Freelance since 2008, most of his works are focused on documentary-social themes. He cooperates with companies, magazines and No Profit Organizations, for photographs and editorial projects. Available for assignments internationally, he worked in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Camerun, Colombia, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Greece, Haiti, India, Israel, Lebanon, Nepal, Rwanda, Thailand, Togo. He lives in Basel, Switzerland.

More Stories

Small creatures; Ordinary Overlooked by C.Owen

Small creatures; Ordinary Overlooked by C.Owen

The insect world is something the average human rarely pays any close attention to that is unless they are invading your home.
Resilience in the creative process: how can we feed it?

Resilience in the creative process: how can we feed it?

We live in a technologically advanced but emotionally primitive world; a world in which we often keep the feeling and the living totally at a distance which, instead of mutually supporting and helping, they hinder each other.
Ethiopia; Ebony by Adriana Miani

Ethiopia; Ebony by Adriana Miani

Ethiopia is a nation in strong development and renewal but 83% of the population, especially in the south, live in rural areas and in the Omo Valley there are about 15 tribes at risk of extinction
https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bannerpr.jpg

We invite you to participate in the first edition of the Portrait Photography Awards. Our call is open to any artistic interpretation of portrait photography.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BAnImage.jpg

ImageRights provides intelligent image search and copyright enforcement services to photo agencies and professional photographers worldwide.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/mono2022.jpg

The best 100 images along with the winning images published in the yearly book “Monochromatic – Best Photographers of 2022”

Call For Entries #24 | After 23 editions and more than 100 published photographers, our print edition has proven to be a simply effective promotional channel.

Paddy drying processes in manual mode by Shaibal Nandi

Paddy drying processes in manual mode by Shaibal Nandi

The drying of paddy is the most important part of making rice from raw paddy. In rural India, poor people still follow the manual process of drying raw paddy before taking those dried paddy into husking mill for milling.
Dans le silence d’une rêverie by Carmelita Iezzi

Dans le silence d’une rêverie by Carmelita Iezzi

The nature, the humans figure and the conceptual, between the beauty and the soul. In this series I invite the viewer to enter a dream world, where solitude is more than just being alone. It is a world of soul searching the dream.
The poetry of Hengki Lee

The poetry of Hengki Lee

Hengki Lee is an Award Winning Visual Artist and Photographer from Jakarta Indonesia.
Fallen Fruit by Julie Fowells

Fallen Fruit by Julie Fowells

The distinction between grief and depression might seem insignificant to some, but the chasm between the two is big enough for guilt and confusion to bounce around in the turbulence, gaining velocity until it’s almost hard to tell the difference. One mocks the other, as if it’s a competition to determine which is more painful. 
Moment of Youth by Gregor Kallina

Moment of Youth by Gregor Kallina

Vietnam is a country of young people. More than half of Vietnam's population is younger than 25 and 70 percent were born after the Vietnam War ended in 1975. Since the 1990ies the young vietnamese people are called "song voi" (fast living), myriads of them are cruising on their motorbikes through the big cities of Hanoi and Saigon today.
Esprìts by Enrico Doria

Esprìts by Enrico Doria

“Esprìts” is a project performed by a Holga camera. It is a project-diary, a series of photographic notes about faded memories that often appear like spirits. These photographs are instinctive, evolving over time and form a body of work which I hope will never end.
Body and senses; Urban Yoga by Anja Humljan

Body and senses; Urban Yoga by Anja Humljan

It is not yoga as such. It is an architectural experiment changing the way we experience every day situations in an urban environment by focusing on our body and senses. The goal of The Urban Yoga is to develop a method for designing space based on subconscious sensory experience.
Monastery By Xavier Ferrer Chust

Monastery By Xavier Ferrer Chust

The Neamţ monastery, which has its roots to the 12th century, is regarded as the Jerusalem of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Driven by Esteban the great in the 15th century, the monastery precinct dedicated to the Ascension of Christ
Mother Nature; Goddess Almighty by Alice zilberberg

Mother Nature; Goddess Almighty by Alice zilberberg

Given various names in different cultures, the nature goddess is always worshipped for her association with fertility, fecundity, and agricultural bounty.
The Rite by Szymon Barylski

The Rite by Szymon Barylski

Jerusalem is a city of three religions, The Wailing Wall is a sacred place for all Jewish people. A pilgrimage to Mecca is the obligation of every Muslim. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is visited by Christians, while Hindus have Varanasi-  known as Benares.
People from Brooklyn; Presence by Daniel McInnis

People from Brooklyn; Presence by Daniel McInnis

Starting in late 2007, I began photographing denizens of New York City with an 8x10 view camera. This type of camera uses 8-inch by 10-inch photographic negatives from which either contact prints (same size as the negative itself) or enlargements are made.
By the river

By the river

The last thing Ian expected when he finally built a bridge to freedom for a group of enslaved prostitutes in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, was the confronting realisation that opportunity was not enough.
An iron cast foundry by Sagnik Datta

An iron cast foundry by Sagnik Datta

The workers of that foundry works for long 12 hours shift or even more sometimes in the boiling rage of heat. They do not have sufficient protective gears while working with hot molten iron.
The Girl Who Escaped and Other Stories by Joan Haseltine

The Girl Who Escaped and Other Stories by Joan Haseltine

Some years after losing my husband I decided to reinvent my life, so I purchased a small ranch in Montana and a camera, neither of which I knew how to operate. I began visiting small towns at night. A woman standing alone on the streets after dark with a camera naturally aroused suspicion and distrust in these old Montana towns.
Matthew Usukumah; Introspection

Matthew Usukumah; Introspection

Matthew ventured into photography in 2017, focusing on fashion. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic started, he was compelled to explore concepts such as mental health, politics, race, and themes regarding the LGBTQ+ community.

Featured Stories

My mum by Viet Van Tran

My mum by Viet Van Tran

I started photographing my mother at the time she became seriously ill, (ten month ago) and continued shooting until my mother will get better, until now. I want to fix some moments forever, not only in my mind and heart, but alsoin a concrete and tangible shape.
Trump-Kim craze by Biel Calderon

Trump-Kim craze by Biel Calderon

The second summit between the U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea chairman Kim Jong-un brought to the city of Hanoi heavy traffic, security cordons, and bustle. However, the residents of the capital of Vietnam welcomed the distinguished guests with great diplomacy and, in many cases, with joy and very peculiar demonstrations of admiration.
Tierwald by Frank Machalowski

Tierwald by Frank Machalowski

Is this fiction or reality? This is the question underlying the series – the images provoke the viewer question what they see. Is this a picture of a warm rain forest or a cold German mixed forest? Are these animals really living in this forest or is it a giant zoo?
Riccardo La Valle ; Inusual and alienating

Riccardo La Valle ; Inusual and alienating

Riccardo La Valle is a photographer based in Milan, he was born in Latina in 1987, he came in touch with photography at the age of 21 years. Riccardo La Valle creates images that are ripe with juxtapositions: delicate yet bold, sensual yet strong.
June Korea – Still Lives: Eva

June Korea – Still Lives: Eva

I began photographing dolls in 2001 to listen to their voices, and see their secret lives once again as I did in my childhood. And after a few years of inviting them into a photographic world I staged, I started asking myself, “Why do I really photograph dolls?”
The soul of photography by Maria Svarbova

The soul of photography by Maria Svarbova

I am Maria Svarbova also known as Aria Baró. I am 25 years old woman home based on Slovakia. I have graduated archeology this year. My first artistic attempts falls down back to my early child hood what is later in 2010 transforming in to photography dedication entirely.
A Hindu funerary rite in a Calcuta crematory by Joxe Inazio Kuesta

A Hindu funerary rite in a Calcuta crematory by Joxe Inazio Kuesta

Today we are going to go to a different site that will interest you, which will impress you, Rahul told me. Where? I asked. You'll see, he answered. Rahul was my guide: a boy who slept in the street. And he was right, it was impressive, exciting.
Albinism by Georgina Goodwin

Albinism by Georgina Goodwin

Georgina Goodwin / These images are of people with Albinism taken on assignment for CNN during the world's first Mr and Ms Albinism Pageant held in October 2016 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Ordinary days is beautiful  by Takako Fukaya

Ordinary days is beautiful by Takako Fukaya

Takako Fukaya has three daughters. They are so special to her. Also she thinks “Children” like them is a hope and a future in this world.
Hyung S. Kim – Haenyeo: Women of the Sea

Hyung S. Kim – Haenyeo: Women of the Sea

The photographer, Hyung S. Kim who was inspired by the historical and geographical uniqueness of “Haenyeo” known as a female diver for living
Northern Siberia; Like Last Year’s Snow by Oded Wagenstein

Northern Siberia; Like Last Year’s Snow by Oded Wagenstein

In the remote village of Yar-Sale in Northern Siberia live a group of elderly women. They were once part of a nomadic community of reindeer herders.
Le chat noir by Le Turk

Le chat noir by Le Turk

Le Turk was born one night simply when listening by chance to Bach's Saint John Passion, nice and loud in headphones.
Photochemistry : Pears in the afternoon by Karoline Schneider

Photochemistry : Pears in the afternoon by Karoline Schneider

Originally a fine artist, I swapped my brushes for a camera and my colours for photochemistry. That’s how the ‘paintings’ that I never painted emerged.
Belief – A Photo Story by Sauvik Acharyya

Belief – A Photo Story by Sauvik Acharyya

A series of pictures taken in North India, explores the myriad ways people worship and the media they use to search for the intangible higher truth or power.Through various rituals, festivals, fire, flowers and even alcohol, India spirituality moves ahead parallel to the nation's modern moorings.
Stranded by Szymon Barylski

Stranded by Szymon Barylski

In 2015 (2072) Nepal was destroyed by two powerful earthquakes. The first one measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck on 25 April, another 17 days later, i.e. on 12 May. These earthquakes killed nearly 9,000 people, destroying over 600,000 homes.
Painting with light by Renee Robyn

Painting with light by Renee Robyn

My images come from a variety of places of inspiration. Some of them are from meeting with a client, seeing their energy and how fascinating they are.

Trending Stories

Interview with Francesco Ridolfi; Published in our print edition #01

Interview with Francesco Ridolfi; Published in our print edition #01

Francesco Ridolfi is a portrait photographer active in both the commercial and artistic fields. His work has been acknowledged and published in Italy and internationally.
The photography of Oscar Daniel Mendoza

The photography of Oscar Daniel Mendoza

As a child, my father always made my brother and me carry a photo camera everywhere we go, so that we could capture the space and every moment we lived as a family.
The valleys of Nepal; Living Within by Inaê Guion

The valleys of Nepal; Living Within by Inaê Guion

From the frigid thin-air mountains to the sultry moist valleys of Nepal, human life is deeply bonded to nature. It is where they find resources for their survival and opportunities to generate income.
Documentary photography; Behind the IJssel by Kees Muizelaar

Documentary photography; Behind the IJssel by Kees Muizelaar

The land is empty, but not abandoned. The people mind their own business, but don’t hide. The land over the IJssel has its own laws for beauty and peace.
Love for dinner by Tomassco

Love for dinner by Tomassco

Tomassco-a fashion photographer, born in a small town of Kelme in Lithuania. Discovered an interest in photography at 10, shooting friends and first selfies.
Signs and Wonders by Alva Bernadine

Signs and Wonders by Alva Bernadine

In my project Signs and Wonders, I play with different kinds of signs we may encounter everyday. There is so much signage in our towns and cities we generally take them for granted but when I turned my gaze upon them, a walk around my neighborhood became redolent with creative possibilities.
Uman pilgrimage by Tomer Ifrah

Uman pilgrimage by Tomer Ifrah

Every year, tens of thousands of jewish pilgrims travel from around the world and mainly from Israel to Uman, Ukraine to celebrate the Jewish New Year, during the holiday of "Rosh Hashana".
Translations by Véronique L’hoste

Translations by Véronique L’hoste

A place. Insignificant, work of the hand of man. Where are we? In a nondescript urban space: a commercial, industrial area, offices? It doesn’t matter. It is a world without a soul, where it’s neither good to live nor work.
Chaos by Daren You

Chaos by Daren You

One definition of chaos is when nonlinear things are impossible to predict and control. If law and order rule the universe, chaos, by contrast, is the totally disorganized opposite.
Varanasi Ganga Aarti by Abhijit Bose

Varanasi Ganga Aarti by Abhijit Bose

Varanasi is the oldest living city in the world. The artifacts found are proving that Varanasi (Benaras or Kashi- the other names) were existing from 1800 BCE!
Life Science by Dr. Eran Gilat

Life Science by Dr. Eran Gilat

I am a Neuroscientist and an avid Art Photographer. My research focused on the study of epilepsy, and the development of innovative cure for this illness. In recent years I found myself directing most of my attention and energy to still life photography
Nude females by Renata Vogl

Nude females by Renata Vogl

I live and create in Slovakia. I am a self-taught (autodidact) and I seriously took up photography in 2009. I cannot impress you with a story about my grand father, who gave me the camera in hand and taught me to see the world through the perspective of lenses when I was a little girl.

Other Stories

stay in touch
Join our mailing list and we'll keep you up to date with all the latest stories, opportunities, calls and more.
We use Sendinblue as our marketing platform. By Clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provided will be transferred to Sendinblue for processing in accordance with their terms of use
We’d love to
Thank you for subscribing!
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted.
- Between 10/30 images of your best images, in case your project contains a greater number of images which are part of the same indivisible body of work will also be accepted. You must send the images in jpg format to 1200px and 72dpi and quality 9. (No borders or watermarks)
- A short biography along with your photograph. (It must be written in the third person)
- Title and full text of the project with a minimum length of 300 words. (Texts with lesser number of words will not be accepted)
This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Contact
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted. This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation.
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Get in Touch
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.