Looking back
1. Shahidul Alam (left) with other discussants at the programme. 2. A photograph of an unknown Freedom Fighter on his way to join the Liberation War. Photograph by Mohammad Shafi. 3. A street child leading a procession during the Mass Upsurge of 1969. Photograph by Rashid Talukdar. Photo: Mumit M.
Drik, one of the major picture agencies of the country, completed its 19th year on September 4, 2008. To celebrate the occasion, Drik held a discussion programme titled "Looking Back" on September 11 at the Drik Gallery in Dhanmondi. The programme was blessed with a hearty gathering of compatriots and well-wishers of Drik.
Veteran photographers of the country who had captured rare moments of the Liberation War, including Rashid Talukdar, Naib Uddin Ahmed, Aftab Ahmed, Abdul Hamid Raihan and Jalaluddin Haider shared their experiences at the programme. Divided into several sessions, the discussion started with Shahidul Alam, internationally renowned photographer and managing director of Drik. He briefly informed the audience about the agency, its views and activities.
Drik, the Sanskrit word for vision, was an initiative by a small group of people to set up a full-fledged picture agency. Over the years, Drik has succeeded in representing a group of media professionals and practitioners with a social commitment, living and working in the "majority world" (an alternative term for the countries that the westerners labelled as third world or developing world). With facilities such as library, darkroom, studio, gallery, publication, multimedia and Internet, Drik provides art media products for international clientele as well as supporting the creative individuals. Drik has expanded its activities through other initiatives like Pathshala (a training institute for photography), Drik News (a web-based news photo agency), majorityworld.com and more.
A multimedia presentation titled "Drik Last Year" was screened to inform about the activities of Drik in 2007. Photographer Shehab Uddin, who joined Drik in 2005, made a presentation titled, "Amrao Manush" -- a moving photo story on the people living on the streets in Bangladesh. A power point presentation on majorityworld.com was also shown at the event.
The special attraction was a documentary on a photo exhibition titled, "Bangladesh 1971" organised jointly by Drik and Autograph ABP at the Rivington Place in London recently. The exhibition also included films focusing on the Liberation War and displayed photographs primarily by Bangladeshi photographers. The exhibition will likely be held in Bangladesh at the next “Chobi Mela” in January 2009.
Abeer Abdullah and Tanvir Ahmed of Drik who were awarded at an international photography competition held in Iran received their awards from the veteran photographers at the event.
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