While documenting the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, she took a photograph of a woman and a man who had died in each other's arms, which became emblematic of the incident.

[3] She tries to bring attention to social and environmental issues through her photography, driven partly by her experience during the 2008 political emergency in Bangladesh.

[3] Following the Rana Plaza collapse in April 2013, Akhter and other photographers from Pathshala tried to document the lives of people who had died there,[3] while also taking part in the rescue effort.

[2] During this process, Akhter photographed a man and woman who had died in the building collapse, locked in an embrace with each other.

[4] The photograph also received widespread attention online, and led to petitions to clothing companies demanding higher minimum wages and improved safety standards.