Drik Picture Library lifted the curtain on Bangladesh Press Photo Contest 2024 with an awards ceremony at the DrikPath Bhaban at Panthapath in the capital on Friday.
The 22-day exhibition is featuring 42 photographs of 30 photographers, which will continue till July 26.
Managing director of Drik Picture Library Shahidul Alam delivered his welcome speech while four judges of the contest namely artist-activist and singer Amal Akash, photojournalist and educator Monirul Alam, renowned photographer and educator Shoeb Faruquee and the editor of The Daily Ittefaq Tasmima Hossain spoke and handed over awards to seven award-winning photojournalists at the programme.
The event was moderated by ASM Rezaur Rahman who also curated the exhibition.
‘We have introduced public interest journalism in this contest but it’s not practised across the globe as newspapers are now associated with owners and power structures. This exhibition is featuring such kinds of photographs which are normally not published in any magazines or newspapers but photographers took these pictures with love because the protest for minimum wage by labour cannot make any sense to the owner of the factory,’ said Shahidul Alam in his welcome speech.
‘I am a visual artist and activist but I feel photography is an important art medium. When I work as a judge of this contest I realise how artists of other mediums or general people read the photographs which are important,’ said Amal Akash.
‘Photojournalists should practise taking pictures rather than taking traditional and ordinary event pictures. People remember those unique and different pictures and win prizes in competitions,’ said Monirul Alam who also mentioned that those who didn’t get an award this year should keep trying.
‘Journalists should keep their eyes open for new types of photographs because a new language of photography easily catches anyone,’ said Shoeb Faruquee.
‘Photographers in this country work very hard. In journalism, the budget is small but training for youths is important,’ said Tasmima Hossain.
A total of 156 photographers submitted more than one thousand photographs for the contest. Out of those, the judges select 30 photographs for the exhibition.
Quddus Alam of Focus Bangla bagged The Picture of the Year 2024 award and received Tk 1, 00,000.
Kazi Golam Quddus Helal from FIAP won the award in Arts, Culture and Sports while Piyas Biswas from newsbangla24.com won Honourable Mention in the same category. In the Politics category, Md Sazid Hossain from The Prothom Alo won the award while Nayem Ali from The Business Standard won Honourable Mention. Besides, Syed Mahamudur Rahman from Dainik Bangla won in the Public Interest Journalism category and Abdul Goni from The Daily Ittefaq won Honourable Mention. Each winner in three categories received Tk 50,000 and a crest while each honourable mention award received Tk 10,000 and a crest.
Besides, the first Indigenous Community Grant winner Paddmini Chakma received a certificate for her photo project titled Do You Really See Me at the event. Denim Chakma was the winner of the Indigenous Community Grant 2024 and received Tk 50,000 for his upcoming project.
The exhibition will run until July 26.
