People generally ride the roofs of trains in Bangladesh for one of three reasons: (1) It’s free. (2) It’s fun. (3) There is no room inside.
“When the train starts your feet will shake and you will try to hold something, but there is nothing to hold on to,” says Bangladeshi photographer G.M.B. Akash, who learned to balance while shooting the photos above.

Those who ride the roof every day to work, too broke to pay for a spot inside, eventually get accustomed to the shaking. They learn how to gracefully duck low-hanging tree limbs and nonchalantly avoid decapitation by stray wire. These regulars often grow so comfortable that they doze as they ride. But all it takes is a sudden stop or a crazy dream, and then even these veterans run the risk of rolling right off.