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5 Bangladeshi photographers win international awards
Cultural Correspondent
Five Bangladeshi photographers have won prestigious awards in the world's leading photojournalism contest in the United States of America recently.
The National Press Photographers' Association of America (NPPA) awarded the photographers, Andrew Biraj, Abir Abdullah, Pavel Rahman, Farzana Khan Godhuluy and Monem Wasif for their respective works for this year.
Andrew Biraj, staff photojournalist of New Age, achieved the first prize in the category of 'Environmental Picture Story'. The theme of his photo-story was 'Living with Water'. He presented people's struggle with water during floods in Bangladesh.
Another photographer Munem Wasif earned honourable mention in this category of competition.
Photographer Abir Abdullah, who has been working in the Bangladesh Bureau of European Press Photo Agency, won the best prize in the section of 'Natural Disaster'. Pavel Rahman, of Associate Press in Bangladesh and Farzana Khan Godhuluy of Agency France-Presse in Bangladesh, have earned second and third prizes respectively in this category.
Abir's photograph was also on the flood of the country. In his photograph an elderly woman wades through flood waters with some of her belongings from her damaged house. He also attended the contest in 2005 and earned third prize in magazine news category.
'The competition is mostly dominated by Western, particularly the USA photographers. It is a matter of pride that five Bangladeshi photographers have achieved awards in a single contest,' says Abir Abdullah.
As in the previous years, the Association arranged a worldwide competition under the title of 'Best of Photojournalism'. More than eight thousand photojournalists across the world took part in the competition and submitted about forty thousand photographs.
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Shahid Kabir's painting show at Gallery Chitrak
Anisur Rahman
The 12th solo painting exhibition of Shahid Kabir, eminent Bengali artist living in Spain, features 39 tempera, watercolours and mixed media paintings at Gallery Chitrak in Dhaka.
Kabir made the tempera media popular in Bangladesh and Spain. Tempera, also known as 'egg tempera', is a type of paint associated with art techniques that were known from the classical era. Being influenced by Kabir, some young artists in Spain are also working in the medium.
About his works Kabir said, 'Paitnings themselves make their shapes, I am simply a witness. My role is behind the curtain.'
The paintings themselves speak much more about themselves as art-works. Their presence itself is their daring and dynamic expression. In one of his paintings at the show only one grape on a large plate enjoys existential ideal of Shahid Kabir.
His philosophy in life is one birth, one death and one chance only. 'Enjoy life but protest against the misdeeds', he says. Here one one may consider the plate as the symbol of earth. The single grape shows the existence of a life. The image can represent artist Shahid Kabir or a tokai (trash picking urchin) on a Dhaka street. This is the existence in totality in his canvas.
Shahid Kabir's father was a police officer who tried to control him with an iron hand and imposed his will over Kabir. But the son was so unruly. He studied fine art and became artist as an outcome of the unruliness in him.
This unruliness always declares its existence in colour pots, pencil, brushes, fishes, tokais and women. His colours and lines are also unruly. As if they are enjoying one chance in one life as artist Shahid Kabir is doing.
He is very humble in personal life. He loves to take the challenge in life and welcomes the neglected ones all around him.
Shahid Kabir was shocked when he was deprived of a scholarship to Japan, which he deserved. He went to Spain in 1980. Artist Monirul Islam co-operated with him in this regard.
Kabir does not feel that he is away from his soil and people. He has the courage to make a minor object important and significant on his canvas.
Shahid Kabir is outstanding in that he can surpass himself with his new works one after another. He is influenced by Picasso, but he surpasses the master artist in attracting female friends, Shahid Kabir said. This is the courage of the artist to be honest in speaking as well as expressing himself on his canvas. One can find reality in his paintings.
Born in 1949 in Bangladesh, Shahid Kabir, who graduated in Fine Arts from Dhaka University in 1969, had worked as a teacher at the same faculty for nine years. He has been living in Madrid of Spain since 1980.
He has won a number awards at home and abroad. These include Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy awards in 1975 and 76 and Carmen Arozamena Prize in Madrid in 1984.
Started on March 29, the show will remain open from 10.00am to 8.00pm till April 10.
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Govt urged to increase allocation for cultural activities
Shawkat Ali Khan
Cultural activists demanded increased patronage for organising cultural programmes.
They also demanded cancellation of the provision for taking police permission for organising any cultural event.
'Culture is the key medium for upholding the identity of a nation. But it is very unfortunate that the government does not come forward to nurture the cultural activities of the country rather it allocates very poor amount of money to organise cultural programmes in the country,' cultural activist Golam Quddus said.
At a news briefing at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, organised by the cultural troop Dhaka Padatik ahead of a 10-day theatre festival, on Tuesday, the activists said the government allocated only Tk 30,000 to each of the Shilpakala Academies in the country.
To nurture the cultural activities in the district level, the government has to increase the annual allocation to Tk 10 lakh, Quddus said, and demanded setting up of a modern stage in every district.
'We want the government to donate money for organising major cultural programmes like Barshabaran, Basanta Utsab, Paush Mela, Nabanna Utsab, Chaitra Sangkranti and International Mother Language Day, Independence and National day, and Victory and National Day,' he said.
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Aamir Khan to carry Olympic torch
Agence France-Presse . New Delhi
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan said Wednesday he would take part in the Olympic torch relay in India, spurning calls for a boycott but carrying 'a prayer' for the Tibetan people.
Khan's announcement came a day after India's football captain Bhaichung Bhutia refused to carry the flame when it comes to New Delhi in just over two weeks to protest China's crackdown in Tibet ahead of the Olympics.
Khan, 38, said he had 'the highest regard and respect for the struggle the people of Tibet are going through.'
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Fahim Music releases Ka-tay Kobitar Din
Cultural Correspondent
Fahim Music Centre has released Jamal Mallik's Ka-tay Kobitar Din. As a script writer and director Jamal Mallik is promising in the context of the drama Ka-tay Kobitar Din Phirey Elo. It tells the story of Shakil, a young aspirant poet who is engrossed in the realm of the muse. Stark reality frustrates him when his poems are rejected by editors. But his finance, Promita, is hopeful of his future success someday. The short play concludes with a note of optimism.
The play in VCD format features Rizwana Rahi, Rajib Ashraf, Bappi Ashraf, Kochi Khodakar, Monica, Kajal Kanon, Kazi Rafik and so on. Videography is by Masudur Rahman. Its producer is Shimul Chowdhury.
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