Black and white photographs take visitors on a trip back in time in the exhibition titled Khulnar Alokchitra Charcha: Itihaser Path Beye under way at the Drik Gallery of the DrikPath Bhaban, Sukrabad in the capital.
Drik Picture Library has organised the week-long photography exhibition featuring selected works of photographers, namely Bimal Kumar Dey, Tushar Kanti Roy, Nurul Haque Lavlu, Simson S Adhikari, Sohel Mahmud, Abdul Badi Tulu as well as Retina and Abhisar Studios.
The photographs were collected by Drik as a part of an initiative, which aims at archiving the history of the practice of photography in Khulna city.
UNESCO Dhaka office in-charge Susan Maree Vize inaugurated the exhibition on Sunday. Photographer Nurul Haque Lavlu, photographer Sohel Mahmud and managing director of Drik Shahidul Alam were present as special guests at the programme.
‘Photography is a medium, which combines art and history. The photographs in the exhibition not only depict the aesthetic life of people but also portray the history of the Khulna district. Such exhibitions are similar to a window on the past, offering stories of not only Khulna city but also other areas located adjacent to it, which can grab the attention of youths of today who are more into visual art than reading,’ said Susan Maree Vize.
‘Photography began its journey in Khulna through professional studios in 1947. A number of photographers, including me, started practicing mainstream photography in the 1970s. We practised together to improve our skills in taking photographs, developing film, printing photographs and so on,’ said Nurul Haque Lavlu.
‘This photo archive was formed with the cooperation of Khulna’s senior photographers and collectors,’ said Shahidul Alam at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.
The displayed photographs portray the fashion and everyday life of people living in Khulna before and after the War of Independence.
A portrait of Dipti Roy Chowdhury taken by Tushar Kanti Roy in Sengupta Studio in Kolkata, India in 1975 gives viewers a glimpse into the style choice of Bengali women in the ‘70s. She posed for the photograph donning a saree and other fashion accessories, including a necklace, teep, watch and others.
A photograph of the Sixty Dome Mosque in Bagerhaat taken by Nurul Haque Lablu in 1976 shows the inside view of the mosque before its renovation.
A photograph shows the gaye holud programme of Saimon Adhikari. It was taken by Simson S Adhikari at Kotalipara, Gopalganj in 1978.
A photograph, taken in 1960, shows Tushar Kanti Roy poses for a photo with his friends sitting on a bench at Prem Kanon, Khulna. The exhibition will end on March 19.
This News Article originally published in Dhaka based Newspaper The New Age
