ABOUT ME
Md Forhad Reza
Writing, politics, society and the world through my lens.
I am from Bogura, Bangladesh, and now live in Sydney, Australia. My background in sociology shapes the questions I ask about politics, society and the lives of ordinary people.
From Bogura to Sydney
I am Md Forhad Reza, originally from Bogura in the Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh. My connection to Bangladesh remains an important part of who I am and what I write about. Its people, culture, history and political life continue to shape my interests, even as I build a life in Australia.
I completed my bachelor’s and master’s studies in Sociology at Begum Rokeya University. Studying sociology gave me a foundation for thinking about how people live together, how institutions influence opportunities and how social expectations shape individual lives. It encouraged me to connect personal experiences with wider questions about inequality, identity, culture and power.
Now based in Sydney, I bring that background into a different social and cultural setting. Living away from Bangladesh gives me another perspective on belonging, community and change, while keeping me connected to the questions that first drew me towards understanding society.
Life today
Today, I continue my studies in Australia alongside writing, photography and community volunteering. These interests are part of an ongoing process of learning. Study helps me develop my understanding, while everyday encounters give me new questions to consider.
This website is a personal space for that journey. I share reflections on politics and social issues, poetry, stories and photographs. I want it to reflect both the subjects I care about and the way my thinking develops over time.
Writing, politics & society
Writing is one of the main ways I explore the world. It gives me time to examine an idea, question an assumption and put complicated feelings into words. My strongest interests are politics and social issues, particularly the relationship between public decisions and the everyday lives of ordinary people.
Bangladeshi politics holds a particular place in my attention. I am interested in how the country’s history continues to influence its present, how institutions exercise power and how people respond to political and social change. I want to understand whose concerns reach public debate, whose experiences remain unheard and what these differences mean for society.
My curiosity also extends to world politics. Decisions made in one country can affect lives far beyond its borders. I am interested in the connections between political ideas, national interests, conflict and the responsibilities of those who hold power. Looking at different societies can also help me reconsider familiar issues from another perspective.
My background in sociology encourages me to look beyond a headline or a single event. I am drawn to the social conditions behind what we see: inequality, access to opportunity, cultural expectations, identity and belonging. In writing about these subjects, I want to connect wider debates with the people who live with their consequences.
History is important to this process. It provides context for the present and raises questions about how events are remembered and interpreted. My interests also include Islamic matters, especially the relationship between faith, personal reflection and life in society.
Alongside these reflections, I write poetry and stories. Poetry gives me room for feeling, rhythm and imagination. Stories allow me to explore relationships, choices and the contradictions of everyday life. They offer a different way to express experiences that political or social commentary cannot fully capture.
I want to keep developing a voice that is thoughtful, clear and open to discussion. My writing presents my own perspective, with room to ask questions, encounter different views and reconsider what I think. Through the English and Bengali sections of this website, I hope to share these interests with readers who bring experiences of their own.
Photography: another way of telling stories
Photography is another passion that helps me pay attention. I am drawn to birds and wildlife, landscapes, rivers, cities and the small details of everyday life. A change in light, a movement or an unexpected moment can make a familiar place feel different.
Where writing allows me to examine an idea, photography gives me a way to observe and remember. I enjoy looking for atmosphere and character, rather than only an obvious subject. Sometimes a photograph holds a feeling that would take many words to describe.
I want to continue learning how to tell stronger visual stories and share the curiosity that makes me pick up a camera. My photographs are part of the same desire to understand and appreciate the world that runs through my writing.
Community involvement
I also volunteer with Wesley Mission, the Australian Red Cross and Canterbury City Community Centre, 4Cs. My involvement includes companionship and conversation with older adults, as well as practical garden care alongside a team.
These experiences give me opportunities to listen, offer support and learn from people whose lives differ from my own. I value being consistent, respecting individual preferences and recognising the importance of ordinary human connection.
Looking ahead
I want to deepen my understanding of politics and society while developing my abilities as a writer and photographer. I hope to pursue further learning and research, bringing together the questions raised by my studies, reading and experiences.
For my writing, that means becoming more thoughtful in how I explore difficult subjects and clearer in how I communicate them. For photography, it means continuing to observe, practise and discover new ways to tell a story.
I hope this website will grow with me: a place to record ideas, share creative work and take part in conversations about the things that matter. My interests will continue to develop, but curiosity about people and society will remain central to the work I want to do.