Zakir Hossain Khokan's Poetry on Singapore Migrant Workers Published in ArtReview Asia

ArtReview Asia's latest issue features poetry by Zakir Hossain Khokan, a Bangladeshi construction supervisor and award-winning poet living in Singapore. His work vividly depicts the fears and harsh conditions faced by migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The poem describes overcrowded dormitories where workers struggle to maintain physical distance, lack masks, and endure unsanitary shared bathrooms. Workers are portrayed as fearful of speaking out due to financial obligations like agent fees and loans. The piece references Singapore's July 10, 2020 elections, held amid pandemic lockdowns triggered by outbreaks in migrant worker housing. Khokan, founder of Migrant Writers of Singapore, writes about workers feeling reduced to statistics, their anxieties ignored despite government assurances. The poem mentions community leaders, journalists, and intellectuals who engage with workers but often emphasize restrained artistic expression. Translated from Bengali by Debabrota Basu, the work captures workers' isolation, economic pressures, and the psychological toll of being treated as mere labor resources.