♪ ♪ bangladesh is one of asia's poorest nations.

seeking cheap labor, more and more overseas corporations are setting up clothing production bases here. such rapid economic development has spread right across bangladesh, leading to a boom in construction. demand for domestically produced brick has surged, and now between 10,000 and 20,000 kilns operate in bangladesh around the clock. brick production continues to grow. providing struggling farmers with another source of work, leading to extra cash income.

in this episode of "asia insight," we take a look at the people behind an economy that is at last beginning to take off. dhaka, the capital of bangladesh, is known as the world's most densely populated city. the country's population has soared to more than 14 million and increases by tens of thousands every year.

the bustling port to the south of the city is dhaka's gateway, connecting it to rural areas. second or third-born sons of farmers who have no land of their own come in search of work. in the past decade bangladesh has enjoyed economic growth, averaging over 6% a year. the capital has changed dramatically. real estate prices have risen twenty-fold in the center of the city.

and the traffic has doubled. roads are heavily congested during the morning and evening rush hours. with a growing population and increased foreign investment the demand for new homes, factories, and commercial properties has resulted in a flourishing construction industry. brick is the only material that can be mass-produced domestically. with limited wood and rock resources, brick is the most commonly used construction material in bangladesh. it is also crushed to replace sand or small rocks.

brick is crucial to the country. some 6,500 new brick kilns have been built in the past five years. around 70 kilometers southwest of dhaka is the region of horipur, an abundant agricultural area close to the ganges river. smoke bellows out from brick

kilns. horipur produces the clay-like soil that is ideal for making brick, and several new kilns have been opened here. in bangladesh the entire brick-making process is handled manually. the work is tough and pays little, but it still provides the people of this country with the chance to work. each brick weighs about three kilograms and is sold for seven cents. bricks are made by placing soil in molds. they are then sun dried and baked in a kiln. because of the rainy season bricks can only be produced for

six months of the year. so operators must be inventive in finding the best ways to produce and sell them. this young man opened his own brick kiln four years ago at the age of 26. rais uddin powlander, the son of a local elementary school teacher, went to college in dhaka. he majored in economics, gaining a ph.d. after graduation he opened a brick kiln, calling upon friends

who wanted to stay and work in their village. thanks to the growing demand for brick, sales improve every year. some 300 employees work here. many are migrants who live in dormitories during the dry season. an additional 100 workers commute from nearby farming villages.

the kiln is one of the few places where locals can earn cash to supplement their farm work. they can also choose which days they want to work.

oahab mollah began working here three months ago. he had been searching for work as he cared for his sickly wife. although his wife needs heart surgery, he can barely earn turng 46 thi year, oab is the oldest worker commuting from the village. he was introduced to the kiln by a friend.

>> the working hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. workers get two 30-minute breaks. and although pay depends on what they do they receive an average of $4. brickmaking is physically demanding. that's why most laborers are in their 20s and 30s. oahab and his 23re7bd siddi siddik matabbor are the only workers in their 40s. until four years ago siddik

worked abroad. he started at the kiln around the same time as oahab. siddik lives in a village an howay by fo. an to get to work he must walk through the forest and three villages. he has seen his home transform over the past few years. those with family members working overseas can build homes and buy electric appliances. but families with no working adults must stay in the village with no hope of improving their lifestyle.

siddik has also worked abroad and built a new home for his family about six years ago. his brick home is 66 square meters in size. it w rare when it was first built, and neighbors often visited it. when siddik left home to work in dubai, his father broad money from relatives to cover his airfare.

siddik repaid this debt within one year whilst sending money back to his family. he also decided to invite two of his brothers to join him.

siddik returned to bangladesh in 2010. all he had to his name was debt. yet in spite of harder times ahead for his family he still managed to send his sons to school. but two years ago his eldest son, nuralam, suddenly dropped out of school.

nuralam is an apprentice to a tradesman who fixes water pipes. it's still a low-level job but he hopes to earn enough to start his own business one day. it's 1:00 a.m., and workers take turns to make sure the kilns continue to operate through the night.

the next morning oahab arrives at the kiln earlier than usual. he says his wife's condition has worsen worsened. workers get paid once every four days. although oahab's wage is not due today, he is paid in advance.

he heads to the village's only pharmacy. although his wife ran out of medicine a few days ago, oahab couldn't afford to buy more. he's decided to ask for an advance because she experienced a heart attack the previous night.

oahab's wife requires seven kinds of medication. the pharmacy, however, doesn't have them all in stock today.

oahab makes $4 a day, carrying one ton of soil. most of his wages go to paying for his wife's medication. the town shopping mall is close to raisa's brick kiln. siddik's eldest son, nuralam, works for an electrician here. today his boss takes him to a construction site for the first time. if he's lucky, he may be asked to lend a hand.

the construction site is close to his home. as soon as they arrive, nuralam is taught some tips. his boss wants him to get used to on-the-job training. that evening nuralam waits for his father to come home.

siddik has worked hard for his family. tonight he listens to his son. oahab pays us a surprise visit. his wife has had another heart attack. we give oahab a ten-minute ride to the pharmacy.

[ moaning ] [ moaning ]

>> 30 minutes after taking the medication, oahab's wife falls asleep. her pain seems to have subsided.

♪ the bangladesh economy is beginning to make an upturn. although the wages earned at the brick kilns are meager, they give workers the means to support their families better. after living from hand to mouth the people of bangladesh are now able to take their first steps toward a more abundant future. ♪

hello there, welcome to "newsline." it is thursday february 5. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. african commanders are intensifying their push against boko haram. a military official says government troops staged a cross-bore den ground offensive for the first time. on tuesday, commanders in chad sent ground troops. a military official says the