Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy handed over awards to winners of the national photography competition organising a programme at its National Art Gallery Auditorium on Friday.
The academy organised the competition titled 鈥楿nnayaner Bangladesh, Nandanik Bangladesh鈥� featuring 235 photographs of 229 photographers depicting the government鈥檚 development works.
Senior photojournalist ABM Rafiqur Rahman was present as an honourable guest at the prize giving ceremony, which was presided over by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy director general Liaquat Ali Lucky.
They handed over the awards to 13 winners of the national photography competition.
Md Rizwanul Hasan bagged the first prize for his photograph of metro rail while Syed Mehedy Hasan won the second prize for Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant and Abdul Goni won the third prize for the third terminal of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The first prize winner got Tk 50,000 while the second prize winner received Tk 40,000 and the third prize winner received Tk 30,000.
Ten photographers, namely Shoeb Faruquee, Md Saiful Islam Khan, Md Ahnaf Al Yasir, Azim Khan Ronnie, Uhaising Marma, Lutfor Rahman, Md Khorshed Alam, Dipu Malakar, Mohammed Rubel and Sabuj Howlader were awarded with the Honourable Mention Award.
The ten Honourable Mention Award winners received Tk 10,000 each and all the winners got crests and certificates.
Congratulating the winners and the participants, ABM Rafiqur Rahman said that photography at his young age was very difficult and parents discouraged their children from photography but the situation had changed.
Liaquat Ali Lucky said, 鈥楶hotography is considered as an art nowadays. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy wants to promote and patronise photography. Therefore, we are working to establish a photography department here.鈥�
A total of 314 photographers submitted 638 photographs in the contest and 235 photographs of 229 photographers were selected in the competition.
An exhibition of the selected photographs was held at the National Art Gallery II from December 30, 2023 to January 31, 2024.
The jury board of the contest comprised photographer ABM Rafiqur Rahman, Abir Abdullah and SM Gorky.
Besides, BSA fine arts department director Syeda Mahbuba Karim and BSA secretary Salauddin Ahmed were present at the award ceremony.