Pakistan’s Bengali community, long marginalized and often undocumented, continues to face daunting challenges, especially its youth, who, despite immense talent and resilience, remain legally invisible. Photographer and storyteller Khaula Jamil sheds light on this issue through her lens, focusing on a 14-year-old gymnast from Karachi who, like many of her peers, is barred from pursuing international dreams due to a lack of official identity documents.
A Legal Limbo for Generations
There are two main groups of Bengalis living in Pakistan. The first group includes those who stayed in West Pakistan after the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. The second comprises those who migrated to Pakistan during the 1980s, in the aftermath of the war. Both groups were technically eligible for citizenship under a Pakistani law that grants nationality to Bangladeshis residing in Pakistan before 1978 if they can provide documentation.
Unfortunately, this law remains largely unimplemented. Corruption, discrimination, and poor record-keeping mean that 70–80% of Pakistan’s 3 million Bengali-speakers remain without full legal status, with many forced to register as “aliens” under Pakistan’s system. This deprives them of the rights of citizenship, education, healthcare, mobility, and employment among them.
Talent Without Borders But Also Passports
The unnamed 14-year-old gymnast photographed by Jamil is a member of an award-winning girls’ gymnastics squad. Though brimming with talent and ambition, she and her teammates are unable to compete internationally because they do not have national identity cards or passports. Their dreams of representing Pakistan abroad remain stifled by bureaucratic barriers rooted in systemic exclusion and statelessness.
Documenting Hope in Despair
Jamil’s work as a photojournalist seeks to challenge harmful stereotypes surrounding marginalized youth, often judged by their race, poverty, or undocumented status. By highlighting the contrast between adversity and resilience, she aims to amplify the voices of those often unheard, spark conversations, and inspire structural change.
Her lens captures not just the lost opportunities but also the unbroken spirit of young girls who continue to leap, tumble, and hope against the odds.