Drik Picture Library is a photography agency and picture library based in
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
, Bangladesh.
Background
Drik Picture Library was established in 1989 by Bangladeshi writer and photographer
Shahidul Alam and Bangladeshi writer and anthropologist Rahnuma Ahmed.
The name is
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
for 'vision'.
It was set up to provide a platform for local photographers to publish internationally and provides various media services.
Drik is associated with Alam's other large project: Majority World which aims to promote photographers from the global south and ensure fair compensation for their work. Drik is headquartered in
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
and has branch offices in India and the UK.
["Network partnerships: Drik Picture Library, Dhaka, Bangladesh", Prince Claus Fund]
Archived
by the Wayback Machine on 4 July 2010.
Pathshala South Asian Media Institute
Pathshala, the ''South Asian Media Institute,'' was set up in 1998 by the
Bangladeshi
Bangladeshis ( bn, বাংলাদেশী ) are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centered on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay.
Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the ...
photographer, writer, and activist Shahidul Alam, as "Pathshala South Asian Institute of Photography". It is affiliated with
Sunderland University and
Bolton University in the UK;
Oslo University College in Norway;
Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a public university in Western Australia. It is named in honour of the first woman to be elected to an Australian parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Australian university named after a woman. Gaining univers ...
in Australia; and The Danish School of Media and Journalism.
In 2019, Pathshala introduced a four-year
Bachelor of Social Science
The academic undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Social Science (BSS, B.Soc.Sc., or B.Soc.Sci.) requires three to four years of study in the social sciences at an institution of higher education, primarily found in the Commonwealth of Nations.
...
in photography program in affiliation with the
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...
. Prior to that, the certificates awarded by Pathshala for completion of its educational programs were not recognized by Bangladeshi universities. Its students engage in social movements with their work. The school has received death threats in response to their work.
Students
Student awards have included first prize in
World Press Photo Contest, The National Geographic All Roads Awards, and the
Prix Pictet. Several students have made it to the
Photo District News' 'PDN's 30 2008' Alumna
Taslima Akhter
Taslima Akhter (born 1974) is a Bangladeshi activist and photographer. She is a graduate of Dhaka University, as well as the photography school Pathshala. She is a member of several activist organizations. While documenting the Rana Plaza collap ...
has won several awards, including the Best Photographer Award from the 5th Dali International Photography Exhibition in China.
Other alumni include:
GMB Akash,
Munem Wasif,
Andrew Biraj, Prito Reza, Sarker Protick, Saiful Huq Omi, Khaled Hasan, Saiful Huq Omi and.
References
Further reading
*Gerhard Haupt and Pat Binder,
Drik: Images for change, Nafas.
, Images against war, Galerie Lichtblick.
*Saad Hammadi, "Drik turns 18", ''New Age Xtra'', 7–13 September 2007
by the Wayback Machine on 18 December 2010.
*"Drik Picture Library Ltd", photography-now.com
by the Wayback Machine on 10 February 2012.
*Indira Ravindran and Laila Duggan,
Case study 1: Drik: Out of focus; in Jane Foster and Kumi Naidoo, eds, ''Young people at the centre: Participation and social change'' (London: Commonwealth Secretariat, 2001; {{ISBN, 0-85092-681-5).
*"Drik/Pathsala – Bangladesh", International Photographers and Researchers Network
Archivedby the Wayback Machine on 1 July 2007. "
Noscript
NoScript (or NoScript Security Suite) is a free software extension for Mozilla Firefox, SeaMonkey, other Mozilla-based web browsers and Google Chrome, written and maintained by Giorgio Maone, an Italian software developer and member of the Mo ...
text reads: ''UK to Bangladesh Host for Arabella Plouviez and Associate Partner / DRIK and Pathshala are the primary educational and managing agencies for photographic education and photo journalism in Bangladesh and SE Asia. Their programme is delivered in Dhaka and consists of an affiliated course to the University of Sunderland. The organisations design and deliver the major SE Asian photography celebration Chobi Mela to a wide range of international photographers and institutions. They have a long track record of producing exhibitions and projects that provide a wider view of the political and economic realities of Bangladesh.''"
*"New from the Network – 12 September 2007: Events and training: Drik celebrates 18th birthday with new exhibition – Bangladesh Now", Creative Exchange
Archivedby the Wayback Machine on 24 March 2008.
External links
Drik websiteDrik News
Photography companies of Bangladesh
Photo archives in Bangladesh
Stock photography
Tourist attractions in Dhaka
Photography organizations
Photo agencies
Photojournalism organizations
Artist cooperatives