In short episodes, Handmade in Bangladesh tells the stories of average working people who live in a rich cultural heritage of artisan handicraft and creativity. They invent many ways of recycling in order to make a living out of basically nothing. From the perspective of the affluent West, it's a case of “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” This documentary offers an alternative point of view to the often one-sided, negative media image of this young, independent country.

Besides being one of the poorest and most densely populated countries in the world Bangladesh faces major challenges: environmental vulnerability as a result of global warming, child labor violations, and dangerous conditions for workers. But listing problems alone does not paint the entire picture. There are many creative, open-minded, optimistic, and proud people who are building their country literally with their own hands. Their struggle for survival is directly related to global capitalism and our standard of living in the West.