23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Golden Fiber, Golden Smile

A jute market in a small village, someone is bargaining, someone is loading goods onto a truck, someone is waiting for a sale, someone is sitting with the hope of selling, and someone is smiling because everything has been sold. Many sellers wait from night till morning, and at the end of the day, no one goes home empty-handed, because jute is the golden fiber of Bangladesh. Yet slowly, the golden age of this golden hope is turning gray.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Jamalpur, Bangladesh
Camera: ILCE-7CR
Copyright: © Ashraful Islam Jubayer