Page 470 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

PHOTOGRAPHY 467

photojournalists of Bangladesh. The senior photojournalists Golam Mowla,
Rashid Talukder and Aftab Ahmed deserve special mention for their extensive
work and contribution.
Golam Mowla (?-1983)
Golam Mowla was a most experienced and creative photojournalist. ‘He is
one of the pioneers who communicated the consciousness that photography is
an art.’ [Trans.] In the pre-liberation period he worked at the Daily Pakistan
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and after liberation he was chief photographer of Dainik Bangla and was
acclaimed for his news and feature photographs.
Rashid Talukder (1939- )
The major and renowned photojournalist Rashid Talukder began his career as
a professional photojournalist in 1962 with the Dainik Sangbad and is working
for Daily Ittefaq since 1975. Rashid Talukder has photographed many
important events in our national and social life during his long working life fig. 10.49 (top) Photograph
including the mass uprisal of 1969, the destructive cyclone of 1970, the Liberation War Rashid Talukder, gold
of 1971, the anti-autocracy movement that raged throughout the 80s. Rashid Talukder medal winning photograph
is completely dedicated and courageous in his professional life and has been harassed in the National
at different times while he was photographing. He has received many important awards Photography Competition
including a gold medal (fig. 10.49) in BPS organized national competition in 1982, six organized by BPS, 1982,
individual awards in the competition entitled ‘Shelter for the Homeless’ organized by © Rashid Talukder
the United Nations in France. His photograph of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur fig. 10.50 (middle)
Rahman’s historical speech of 7th March has been published in the Encyclopaedia on Rashid Talukder
South Asia from Cambridge University. Rashid Talukder has been in the leadership of fig. 10.51 (bottom)
the photography movement in an organizational capacity through many organizations Aftab Ahmed
such as BPS and ‘Bangladesh Photojournalists Association.’
Aftab Ahmed (1934- )
Senior photojournalist Aftab Ahmed has been working for the Daily Ittefaq from 1962.
Including some important photographs of our War of Liberation Aftab Ahmed
photographed many momentous events such as photographs following the killing of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975, the mutiny of the sepoys
and people on 7 November and the various movements for democracy in the country.
Compiling his own and the photographs of others on the independence movement of
1947 and various photographs of the War of Liberation he published the album
Swadhinata Sangramey Bangali (1993), with photographs of different historical
mementos and sculptures of our Liberation War the album Amra Tomader Bhulbo Na
(1994), and compiling various memorable photographs of the movement and various
incidents against the misrule of the British and the Pakistanis between 1757 and 1947
and 1948-1971 the album Banglar Muktisangram – Sirajuddowla Thekey Sheikh
Mujib (1996). He was awarded the state award ‘Ekushey Padak’ for his contribution
to photojournalism in 2006.