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Pathshala graduates display their works at Drik

Clockwise (from top): Photos by Tanvir Murad Topu, Khaled Hasan and Sazzad. Karim Waheed

To mark the Graduation Day 2009 of Pathshala, the only photography school in South Asia, an exhibition featuring works of the graduating students (8th batch) of the institution is being held. The exhibition, titled "Perspectives" is on at Drik Gallery, Dhanmondi. Pathshala is the educational wing of Drik.

The exhibition was inaugurated on August 7 by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. At the event, Professor Yunus handed certificates to the graduates in photography. The Nobel laureate, along with guest of honour photographer Bijon Sarkar and Pathshala principal Dr. Shahidul Alam, unveiled a book (also titled "Perspectives") of photography as part of the school's annual exhibition.

The exhibition and the book are products of Pathshala's yearlong documentary project by the 16 graduating students. The participating photographers are: Chandan Robert Reberio, Debasish Shom, KM Asad, Khaled Hasan, M Mazhar Hussain, Nurun Nahar Nargish, Prito Reza, Qamruzzaman, Saikat Mojumder, Saikat Bhadra, Sazzad Hossain, Shehab Uddin, Shumon Ahmed, Tanvir Murad Topu, Tanvir-ul-Hossain and Tanzim Ibne Wahab. Abir Abdullah, the course teacher, edited the images.

The photographs are remarkable, some are downright shocking, but what sets this exhibition apart is presentation. The photos -- out of frames -- have been placed on a rickshaw, tombstones and other unusual settings. Images present life on a bigger canvas, with the photographers' interpretations of creed, aspirations, drive, stigma, class, social inequality, changes in trends and more. According to the curator of the show, ASM Rezaur Rahman, the photographers have made efforts to minimise the gap between the viewer and the images.

Tanvir Murad Topu's project "City Wheeler" is on (as it can be guessed from the title) rickshaws. But it's not just about the semi-mechanical three wheeler. Topu has also managed to delve into and portray snaps of the lives of some rickshawallah.

Saikat Mojumder's "Life: Born in a Slum" is a groundbreaking work. The young photographer has gone where few men dare to step into. Mojumder's collage chronicles Sajila, a working woman from the Korail slum in Dhaka, giving birth to a baby boy. It's a shocking, eye-opening and learning experience.

Chandan R Reberio's project "Rest in Peace" features photos of a death and funeral rites at a church. Stark black and white images on tombstones have an eerie effect. The highlight has to be the photo of a graveyard, with an old church in the background. Rays of light trying to break free from sinister looking clouds also adds to the grim ambiance.

Shumon Ahmed's brief documentary "Land of the Free" narrates the story of Mubarak Hussain bin Abul Hashem, the only Bangladeshi to have returned from the infamous Guantanamo Bay after five years of incarceration. At Guantanamo, Hashem was known as "Enemy Combatant number 151."

"Portraits of Anonymous Faces" by Tanvir-ul-Hossain features the apparent exploitation of workers in the apparel industry. With over one and a half million women employed in semi-skilled and skilled positions, producing clothing for export, the development of the apparel industry has had far-reaching implications for the country's economy and society. Hossain's project puts the workers in social and economic contexts, pointing at the dissimilarity that deserves reaction.

Each project, each story at the exhibition demands the viewer to reflect. You may or may not agree with the interpretations but they are certainly worth discussions, arguments and thoughts.

The exhibition ends today.