Abir Abdullah’s record of Troubling Rain
The exhibition ‘Troubling Rain’ captures monsoon’s beauty and struggles, urging people and policymakers to confront Bangladesh’s climate-threatened future and fragile infrastructure
Abir Abdullah has an odd ritual that he has been following for almost two decades. As monsoon rolls around each year, he takes his trusty camera and trudges through the harshest of weather to document Dhaka's rain.
In the initial years, an emotional pull had motivated him to take these photos. The season itself is the centre of countless poems and paintings, and that's what inspired him to capture this beloved season through his lens.
But Dhaka has always had a complicated relationship with rain — waterlogged streets, unrelenting traffic congestion, and everyday life becoming even harder for its residents.
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In the name of development, we use a lot of terms such as 'Digital Bangladesh' — but half an hour's worth of downpour can collapse this megacity. This is why I take these photos.
Photographer Abir Abdullah finally shared these records of rain with the public through his exhibition, 'Troubling Rain', in Dhanmondi's Alliance Française de Dhaka, open for all till 23 August.
The exhibition displays both sides of monsoon — the joys it brings, but the hardships it creates as well. With this display, the photographer poses a question to the people and policymakers: how will Bangladesh move forward when its infrastructure is threatened by climate change?
The interesting part about the exhibition is that it depicts more than what is in frame — it shows the changing times, as well as the photographer's own humorous side.
As you browse through the photos, you will come across a few photos that lean on satire — particularly a photo of a group of men in formal attire, wearing knee-high rainshoes, sipping on coffee, perhaps in the midst of assessing the waterlogged area they are standing in.
"This [waterlogging] is an issue we have been complaining about for years, but it still seems like we are far from a solution — that is the question I pose with these photos," shared Abdullah.
He continues, "In the name of development, we use a lot of terms such as 'Digital Bangladesh' — but half an hour's worth of downpour can collapse this megacity. This is why I take these photos."
The rest of the photos in the exhibition unfold like a storybook, telling different stories. In the same photo, a boat and a rickshaw both move forward in a waterlogged area, showing the absurd measures people are pushed to use for adapting to the rain. Other times, the photos are harrowing, showing the direct correlation between rain and how it impacts people's jobs. In another photo, a group of men are shown trying to save a rickshaw from the water.
However, his question does not just go to policymakers, but also to the people.
"Congestion from poorly disposed polythene bags contributes to poor drainage systems, and that is why my question extends to the people as well — it's a shared responsibility."
One question lingered, though. As a silent observer of rain, Abdullah saw time change and culture evolve. But rain and its impact has only flowed one way — much more ruthless towards the people.
"After documenting the rain for so long, I didn't really see any changes. People only take action when the situation gets bad, and no preventative measures are taken," he commented.
These photos are also a testament to Abdullah's love for photography, no matter the situations they put him in.
"One thing I learned was that you have to be very strong psychologically to be a photographer. People say a lot of things, and you need to stay calm," commented Abdullah.
Even though Abdullah completed his Master's degree in Marketing from Dhaka University, he has loved photography from the very beginning. After attending a photography course under Shahidul Alam, he immediately knew he had to be a photographer.
Abir Abdullah's works have been featured in different publications, including The New York Times, Asia Week, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and more.
