Press Release

Curtain rises on Bangladesh Press Photo Exhibition 2026

Picture of the Year 2025 awarded to Daily Prothom Alo’s Sazid Hossain

Drik Picture Library inaugurated the Bangladesh Press Photo Exhibition 2026 today, Friday, July 31, 2026. In the evening, the awards ceremony for the Bangladesh Press Photo Competition (BPPC) 2026 and the opening of the exhibition took place at DrikPath Bhaban in Panthapath, Dhaka.

In June this year, the competition started with a call for submissions of photographs taken in 2025, with a focus on photojournalism. A total of 202 photojournalists from different media outlets across Bangladesh submitted around 1,600 images on political, economic, social, cultural, wildlife–nature and documentary themes. From these submissions, 32 photographs were selected and featured in this year’s Bangladesh Press Photo Exhibition 2026.

Drik initiated the Bangladesh Press Photo Competition in 2021 to celebrate and honour the professionalism, skill and courage of Bangladeshi photojournalists working on Bangladesh’s frontlines. This year marks the fifth edition of the competition.

Among the 202 participants, this year’s five winners are: ‘Picture of the Year’ 2025 – Sazid Hossain, Deputy Head of Photography, Daily Prothom Alo; winner in the Public interest Journalism and Politics categories – MD. Mazharul Islam, Photojournalist, Daily Times of Bangladesh; Honourable Mention award in Public Interest Journalism and Politics categories – MD Mahmud Zaman, Head of Photography, Daily Times of Bangladesh; winner in Arts, Culture and Sports category – Tanvin Tamim, Sports Photojournalist, Daily Sun; and Honourable Mention award winner – Abdul Goni, Photojournalist, Daily Ittefaq (currently working at the Daily Waadaa newspaper).

At the event, the ‘Picture of the Year’ winner at the BPPC 2026 received an honorarium of Tk. 100,000. Winners in each category received Tk. 50,000, and the Honorable Mention award recipients received Tk. 10,000, in addition to crests and certificates.

Under the Bangladesh Press Photo Competition, this year’s ‘Indigenous Community Grant 2026’ has been awarded to indigenous photographer Mong Hai Shing Marma from Bandarban. This year’s exhibition features the work of the 2025 Indigenous Community Grant winner, Jajong Nokrek. Similarly, this year’s grant-winning photographer, Mong Hai Sing Marma, will receive financial support, year-long mentorship, and the opportunity to present his work at next year’s Bangladesh Press Photo Exhibition 2027.

Judges for this year’s competition were Buddhojyoti Chakma, writer and photographer, Daily Prothom Alo; Dina Hossain, Assistant Professor of Practice, School of General Education, BRAC University, and documentary filmmaker; Munir Uz Zaman, photojournalist at the International News Agency, Agence France-Presse (AFP); and Dr. Shahidul Alam, photographer, activist, and founder of Drik.

At the beginning of today’s event, Dr. Shahidul Alam delivered the welcome speech. He said, “When politicians plant trees, they are pleased if we photograph them. But when they carry out repression, if we take photographs of that, they pounce on us, we are persecuted. Their character keeps changing, and we have to continue our work through those shifts.”

Regarding the purpose behind initiating this competition, he stated that the work of photojournalists is not properly valued, and within the structure of media houses their position remains at the bottom. Yet these are the very people who stand in the front line, who come under attack, who are injured. They are the ones who bring the images to us. This event is our way of repeatedly reminding everyone about these photojournalists, the importance of their work, and the need to recognise their value. This is our responsibility.

On behalf of the jury, Buddhojyoti Chakma and Dina Hossain shared their reflections. Buddhojyoti Chakma expressed that just as there was diversity in the judges’ work and experience, so too the competition included the work of indigenous photographers and foregrounded images of women’s strong political presence in the country.

Special guest Kamal Ahmed, Head of the Media Reform Commission during the tenure of the Interim government and Consulting Editor at The Daily Star, also addressed the audience. He said, “During the tenure of the interim government, the Media Reform Commission made recommendations aimed at protecting the rights and ensuring the safety of media professionals. We proposed the formation of an independent media commission, which the previous government perhaps did not even bother to read. I hope that this elected government will play a role in establishing it.”

As in previous years, this exhibition has been curated by Drik’s General Manager, ASM Rezaur Rahman, who also conducted the ceremony. At the end of the event, he delivered the thank you note.

This 13-day exhibition will run until August 12, 2026. It will remain open to all every day from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Press Release in Bengali: 20260731_ Press Release_ BPPC 2026 Exhibition_ BNG.pdf

More photos: 20260731_ BPPC_ Opening Ceremony

All Photo Credit: M. H. Akash/Drik

For further information, please contact:

Amina Neyamat

Equality, Diversity and Communications Officer

Mobile: +8801786502671, Email: amina@drik.net

Parvez Ahmad Rony

Coordinator, Bangladesh Press Photo Contest 2026

Mobile: +8801737758800, Email: parvez@drik.net

Published: July 31, 2026