Page 445 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

442 ART AND CRAFTS

of the indigenous communities of the Chittagong Hill Tracts ‘Chittagong Hill Tract
Photographic Society’ (1999) was founded. With the effort of expatriate Bangladeshi
photographers ‘Lens-View Photographic Society’ was formed in the United States.
Similar societies developed in the various universities of Bangladesh. The ‘Dhaka
University Photographic Society,’ ‘Architecture Department Photographic Society’ of
the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and ‘Jahangirnagar
University Photographic Society’, played an active role in this context. Moreover, there
are photographic societies in Rajshahi University, Shahjalal University of Science and
Technology in Sylhet, Islamic University of Kushtia as well as private universities such
as, BRAC, North South etc.
Besides the regional and educational institution based organization, various
photography related organizations were born on the basis of different ideals or activities.
‘Creative Photographers’ was founded in 1986 with the special commitment to promote
and practice creative photography. Besides the founding president Mrinal Sarker, the
other initiators included AFMA Gani, BKS Inan, Kaisar Alam and others. The particular
success of ‘Creative Photographers’ was organizing the first international salon on
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fig. 10.16 Photograph photography in 1988. The president of ‘Cine-seek Audio Visual Club’ established in
winning first prize at the 1983 was Dr. Siddique E. Rabbani. Many photographers of the younger generation
2 nd Asian photography including Khalid Mahmood Mithu was associated with it. This organization awarded
competition organized ‘Cine-seek Alokchitra Padak’ and other multi-dimensional activities for the
by ACCU, photograph advancement of photography. Besides this, ‘Bangladesh Association for Development
Bijon Sarker, Photography’ (1978), ‘Camera Club, (1986), ‘Manshot Society of Photography’ etc.
© Bijon Sarker may be mentioned. Most of these clubs were short-lived and are currently non-existent.