Beyond occupational injury: exploring lived experiences of marginalization and survival among injured coal miners in Bangladesh

BACKGROUND: Mining accidents are commonly examined through analyses of injury patterns, incident types, and their underlying causes, particularly from technical, mechanical, and operational perspectives, yet the long-term human costs experienced by injured miners and their families remain largely overlooked in both research and policy discourses. This study aimed to document the lived experiences of injured miners in Bangladesh in the aftermath of mining accidents, highlighting their ongoing suffering and struggles, and exploring how these experiences shape their livelihoods, mental well-being, family economic realities, and social lives over time. METHODS: A qualitative approach was employed to explore the post-injury experiences of miners who were involved in workplace accidents at the Barapukuria Coal Mine in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Individual, in-depth, unstructured interviews were conducted using the testimonio method to capture miners’ lived experiences of injury, work disruption, and the long-term socio-economic and psychological consequences. Fifteen injured miners were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis to identify patterns across participants’ narratives. RESULTS: Twelve themes emerged from the testimonios of injured miners: “from miners to beggars,” “the lands are all gone,” “the uncertain future,” “the haunting memories,” “I have never seen my babies,” “loss of self-worth and self-identity,” “I found a new name,” “social isolation,” “stigma and discrimination,” “demand for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH),” “society as shared responsibility,” and “call for rehabilitation.” These themes were grouped into four broader aspects – economic, psychological, social, and urge to live - embedded within the social structure of the mining industry. CONCLUSION: Mining accidents in Barapukuria cause prolonged physical, psychological, and socio-economic harms, exposing systemic neglect and unsafe practices, highlighting the urgent need for OSH, rehabilitation, mental health support, compensation, and social protection to break cycles of injury, vulnerability, and marginalization.