The New Nation - Internet Edition

Art & Culture Report

The International Inter University Photography Exhibition was held at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy from August 3 to 9. It is one of the most anticipating events for all the amateur photographers.

It is set to become the international photography competition and exhibition and is designed to showcase the best photographic art of both professional and emerging artists around the world.

The North South University Photography Club (NSUPC) has been organizing the event annually since 2003, highlighting photographs taken by university and college students from home and abroad.

In the exhibition, 47 universities from 13 countries participated. The exhibition featured 502 photographs by 201 photographers. The competitive exhibition featured 35 awards in different categories. The entries were categorised according to two mediums - Colour and Black and White. Subcategories were Landscape, Portrait, Lifestyle, Architecture, Action, Still life and Nature. Apart from these, three awards were given in the 'Photo Story' category. A panel of judges including eminent photographers of Bangladesh selected the award winning works.

The participants represented 30 Bangladeshi universities including The North South University, Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University, BUET, CUET, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Khulna University, East West University, AIUB, Stamford University and BRAC University and 17 foreign universities in Australia, Canada, Egypt, England, Germany, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa and USA.

A number of photographs, displayed at the exhibition, portrayed human activities involving water, like fishing, boating, bathing in the river, and washing equipments on the riverside. Some of the photographs also highlighted the nature like raindrops on a leaf or rain over the river.

Easel Mortuza and Ismail Hossain Ferdous of East West University were the first prize-winning photographs in the Lifestyle in 'Black and White' and 'Colour' categories respectively.

Their photographs highlighted life in the water. The panoramic photograph by Easel featured a tranquil moment, where a boatman tried to plan his little boat, while Ferdous' aerial view captured the life in river areas.

The first prizes in Landscape category - colour and black and white respectively - went to Nadi Abrar Haque of the University of Ottawa, Canada and Md Farhad Rahman of Bangladesh College of Leather Technology.

Abrar took an aerial snap of seashore, while Farhad's photograph portrayed a rustic view.

Md Mubeenul Haq Khan of BRAC University won in the 'Portrait' category in black and white.

Zubin Faisal of University of Nottingham, England won in the same category in colour.

Avijit Nandy of Dhaka University received the first prize in 'Nature' in colour category.

Towfiq Hossain of North South University and Ashraful Awal Mishuk of Dhaka University received first prizes in 'Action' in black and white and colour respectively category.

A series of photographs taken by Sheikh Rajibul Islam of BUET, highlighting a circus troupe, received the 'Best Photo Story' award.