Rashida Khatun (not her real name), 49, has a kitchen in her Mirpur apartment so cramped that if two people enter together, their elbows touch. In one corner sits a stove, beside it a sink, and between them barely two arm’s length of space to move. That hot, greasy, smoke-filled kitchen is her daily battlefield.
“I can’t work comfortably; there’s no space. I can’t even keep things properly,” Rashida says, her voice edged with frustration.
The tiny kitchen not only makes cooking difficult but also takes a toll on her health. “The sink is too low, so I have to bend down while working. Now my back hurts whenever I sit or stand,” she says.
“The kitchen is full of heat, smoke, and the smell of oil. Sometimes my chest feels heavy. The smoke and gas make it hard to stay inside,” she adds.
The exhaustion and strain in Rashida’s voice reveal an unspoken reality – cooking has become a daily battle waged in silence by thousands of women across the city.
The root of this struggle lies in the cramped spaces and poor infrastructure of urban kitchens. In the densely populated neighbourhoods of Dhaka, most kitchens are tiny, with little to no ventilation. Without exhaust fans, heat and fumes quickly build up, turning these spaces into suffocating and unhealthy environments.
This reality is echoed in a study titled “Modelling Ventilation in Low-Income Houses in Bangladesh,” which highlights the severe lack of airflow in small urban dwellings.
A recent study by BioMed Central paints an even more alarming picture. It found that in such closed kitchens, the level of PM2.5 particles can reach up to 600 micrograms per cubic metre, about 20 times higher than the limit set by the World Health Organisation.
Research shows fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
This fine smoke and gas not only cause immediate discomfort but also lead to long-term lung damage. For those who spend more than two to three hours in the kitchen daily, the risk of respiratory problems, chronic cough, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increases significantly, the study found.
“Working long hours in small kitchens with poor ventilation causes women to suffer from waist, knee, and neck pain, varicose veins, breathing problems, allergies, and skin issues,” said Dr Mehedi Hassan, physician at Bangladesh Medical University (former BSMMU), speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh.
He added that constantly bending or leaning to one side puts sustained pressure on muscles and joints, which worsens over time – especially after the age of 45.
Dr Mohammad Tanvir Islam from the Department of Internal Medicine at Bangladesh Medical University explained the physical impact in more detail.
“Women who work in such cramped and closed kitchens experience reduced bone density as they age, turning small discomforts into permanent problems.”
According to Tanvir Islam, preventive measures are essential. “Proper ventilation in the kitchen must be ensured. Chimneys, windows, or exhaust fans are necessary to let smoke out.”
Yet the reality is that there is no immediate solution in sight. Due to space shortages, high rent, and construction cost concerns, many landlords or developers neglect light and ventilation when designing kitchens.
Experts say that even simple planning or minor design changes can significantly reduce these risks. Research shows that if cross-ventilation – air flowing from two directions – is ensured, smoke density can decrease by up to 40%.
Z H M Monjur Murshed, assistant professor at the Department of Architecture at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET), said, “Even when the kitchen space is small, the design often fails to follow the natural workflow of washing, preparing, and cooking.
“As a result, the small area is not used efficiently. Light and ventilation are also ignored, which makes the cooking space even more suffocating.”
When asked how an effective design could be achieved even in small spaces, Monjur said, “If window placement is planned properly, many problems can be reduced. At least one side of the kitchen should remain open to allow cross-ventilation.”
“If the window is placed higher, hot air can escape easily. Even in narrow spaces, ventilation shafts or light wells can allow some flow of air and light,” he added.
