Display of photographs by Abdul Badi Tulu in his studio, Photo Play. It was established in Khulna in 1962. — Sheikh Hasan
History of photography in Bangladesh, more importantly the role of mofussil photographers in the making of this history is largely unknown. We know of photographers Golam Kasem Daddy (1894-1998), Amanul Haque (1925-2013), Manzoor Alam Beg (1931-1998), and Bijon Sarkar (1935-2012) — those who walked against the wind and built a life with a camera around their neck. A group of young photographers and students of Pathshala took on this new role of being a researcher and embarked upon this journey to know their own history. Talking to the research team, Nahid Riyasad writes about their journey.
To collect photographs is to collect the world.
― Susan Sontag, On Photography, 1977, p.3
Young Bangladeshi photographers have earned international accolades, brought many prestigious global awards to home. Pathshala South Asian Media Institute (1999) and CounterPhoto — two Bangladeshi institutes of photography are now training not only Bangladeshi students, but also attracting foreign students. Students trained here have now footprint all over the world and with their achievements, photography is now a desired and reputable profession in Bangladesh. Looking back in history, however, this was not the case.
History of photography, more importantly the role of mofussil photographers in the making of this history is largely unknown. We know of photographers Golam Kasem Daddy (1894-1998), Amanul Haque (1925-2013), Manzoor Alam Beg (1931-1998), and Bijon Sarkar (1935-2012) — those who walked against the wind and built a life with a camera around their neck. Their stories and photographs too were not easily integrated, left unheard in the margin of history until very recently photographers like Shahidul Alam, Nasir Ali Mamun, Tanzim Wahab and Munem Wasif took initiatives to pay their tributes to their gurus. However, photographers in mofussil towns are not part of this history writing initiatives. A group of young photographers and students of Pathshala, as part of an oral history research initiative of Drik Picture Library and Prince Claus Fund, took on this new role of being a researcher and embarked upon this journey to know their own history.
From left standing behind, Md. Shafi, Kanchan, Kalam, and Shamim; from left sitting, Zahir Uddin (Tara) and Abdur Rahim Kalu. On the back of the photo, in Bengali, when the Pakistani army verbally abused and attacked Bengalis with their arms, they protested with basic weapons but couldn’t fight long, so the guerrilla muktijoddhas’ (freedom fighters) team left for safety in Benapole, Jashore. The photograph was taken on April 9, 1971. — Photograph collected from Sharothi Studio, Jashore
Young anthropologist and lead researcher of this oral history writing initiative, Azrin Karim introducing the project says, ‘although photography as a science, technology, art and practice has history longer than a century in Bangladesh, as a visual-cultural tradition it has not been recognised. In this context, we explored photography as visual-cultural tradition, particularly the way it has evolved in mofussil (small town) and how it has created an expansive visual history of the country. What we have come across tell as much of the history of photography as it does about history, political-economy and culture of Bangladesh. It created a space for intergenerational dialogue between elderly first, second generation Mofussil photographers and budding photographers. As we are completing the inception phase of this initiative, we realised this is only the beginning.’
In this first phase, the team selected six districts — Rajshahi, Rangpur, Bogura, Khulna, Jashore and Manikganj. While there were no fixed criterions to select these districts, they were chosen because of some prior knowledge of studio photography in these areas.
What prompted someone in 1950s or even earlier to take up photography as profession? In what context, the demand for images was created? The way contemporary photographers are practicing this art today, was the practice similar? If not, then, how was it different? With these questions in mind, the team has been working for the last six months in their designated areas. They conducted baseline survey to generate a list of photo studios and photographers in the area, but the objective was to dig enough to know the earliest history of photography in the area. In public memory, who is remembered as the early photographer or studio in the area? That is why Qamruzzaman, a Pathshala alumni and researcher with this initiative, described the project as an archeological excavation of photographic practices in Bangladesh.
Let’s take the story of Bishwanath Das. He was among the earliest photographers in Jashore who started his career in the late 1950s. He got a photography contract with the military and earned a fortune. Stories of his wealth and extravagance are still a talking for people in Jashore — he used to travel by air from Jashore to Dhaka to collect his photography equipments. In Rangpur, the pioneer photographer Z A Raza’s story is rather different. In his sister’s wedding, a guest left a bag behind and never returned for it. Raza, a curious teenager then, peeked through the bag and found a camera. A chance encounter with a camera gave birth to a photographer who later went to establish one of the early studios in Rangpur. History in Manikganj is rather longer. Some even say that first photo studio in Bangladesh was there. But the researchers say, ‘with the history of partition, the war of independence in 1971 and the subsequent communal tension between Hindu and Muslim forced many early photographers to exchange property and left Bangladesh. So, there remained only fragmentary mentions.’
Collection of cameras in Retina Studio, Khulna. — Sheikh Hasan
Mohammad Hasan Zobayer is a Pathshala student and member of the research team conducted the ground level research in Jashore, ‘The close proximity to India perhaps the reason for early introduction of photography Jashore. It started probably around 1940 with the establishment of Ela Studio. During that period, studio photography was profitable. Some people started to take it up as side business. For example, owner of Ela Studio was a shakhari (who traditionally make bangle from conch for Hindu woman), the profit from studio significantly contributed to their family wealth. Jashore became a hub of photography for south-western Bangladesh.’ As the newly independent state were taking shape, ideas and tools associated with the emergence of modern state — national border, immigration, passport, visa — were also introduced creating demand for photographs and studio photography.
When New Age Youth asked about the overall social perception of photograph and photography as profession, Zobayer responded, ‘Two factors played important role in overall social perception of this profession back then. First, compared to now, people were much more liberal, religiously they had less stigma towards photography and posing for photos on special occasion, going to studio to get photographed with family members was part of many celebrations like eid and puja back then’.
Azrin karim further added, ‘The data we have collected so far indicate an important aspect of practices of photography in Bangladesh. Primarily, the practice of photography was associated with the establishment of studio back then. Zobayer also substantiated her claim, ‘As most of the studios had dark rooms and photographers there had the overall knowledge to produce a photograph by going through a long and complex process, studio gradually became a school’.
Golam Rabbani Babui, also a young photographer who worked in Rangpur agreed, ‘when a studio is established in the primary days of photography in an area, it could not help but become an informal photographic institute for the aspirants, as the people in the studio had robust knowledge about camera and the development process in the darkroom. During my research, I came to know that an aspiring photographer would take an internship in a local studio and after a couple of years of training, they would go on to opening their own.’
The research team of Pathshala students sharing their experience of working in this oral history initiative on the mofussil photography in Bangladesh — Parvez Ahmed Rony
However, photography was not exclusively restricted to studios. There were instances when individual took of photography out of passion. Many iconic photographs of the language movement of 1952 or 1971 independence war are the contribution of these amateur photographers. Qamruzzaman pointed out another important aspect of the relationship between amateur photography and the economy of this passion — the cost of this art. He illustrates, ‘I would say, even today, perusing photography as passion is eye wateringly expensive and it was even costlier back then. The economic factor played an important role because as far as we have observed, all the personal enthusiasts back then were members of affluent class. To substantiate, Qamruzzaman further adds, ‘Satyajit Ray’s family tree explains how his father and grand-father had maintained a good appetite for this art, the family even had an enlarger at their home.’
The transition of photography from personal or family practice studio photography, it came closer to ordinary people. ‘A clear distinction line can be made drawing from research in Rajshahi. The initial practice started with members of wealthy family but they did not do it for commercial purpose. However, when the commercial aspect shines brightly, only then, people from different classes opted for this practice,’ said Qamruzzaman. Motaher Hossain was born in a family of 24 siblings with extreme poverty; however, he established the first air-conditioning studio in Rajshahi, that too in the early 1960s. Only by capturing passport sized photographs, he made his fortune and looked after the large family. This indicates the economic prospect of the profession.
All the researchers involved in this initiative however observed how market has an influence in the making and unmaking of history of photography. While the introduction of camera and photography during British colonial period and the birth of nation state created demands for photography, the emergence of digital camera and mobile phone technology has totally changed the landscape of photography. Qamruzzaman, who worked in Rajshahi described this transformation as paradigm shift, ‘Even my elder siblings were accustomed with the studio going culture. As early as early 1990s, I can recall, going to studio to take cool photos with nice and colourful background, it was part of popular practice and I have heard of such practices were very much alive during early period of photography in Rajshahi.’ But the popularity and availability of mass produced cameras shifted the focus from studios. Zobayer asserted that digital photography had hammered the last nail on studio culture’s coffin. ‘Now we don’t need to go to the studio to get our photos, rather, we directly go with soft copy of our photos from cell phones and get them printed directly from the lab,’ he added.
To further elaborate on this transformation, Zobayer adds. ‘When film prices decreased, digital colour laboratories emerged in the scene for photo processing. As a result, dark room experts started to lose their jobs. As photography has been a mentor centric profession, when the business started to decline, many of them switched professions.’ He had personally met two dark room experts who left their jobs and started driving auto-rickshaws.
The early photographers used to take pride in their knowledge as many of them found saying, our knowledge was embodied, tactile. Tara Mia of Manikganj, he was local correspondent of The Daily Sangbad in 1960s reminisces, ‘In a dark room, we have done everything with our own hands. Today photographers with intelligent cameras miss those interactions. We had to wait for days to finish one roll film. Films were expensive. For one perfect shot, I couldn’t keep clicking away. I have to use all my senses to know the exact moment to capture.’ In response, the photographers in the team would response, as Babui mentioned. ‘As photography students, even though we use digital mediums, we were taught the entire process of analog photography and that knowledge of dark room and post-production helped us immensely to engage in this intergenerational dialogue and know more about the history of our own profession.’
With the talk of skills, stories of intriguing practices of former photographers came up. Working long hours in the dark room was physically challenging task because of the lack of light and suffocating environment. ‘A photographer in Rajshahi had experimented with gunpowder to get the right amount of exposure on the film. Another photographer modified the chimney of his house with a number of mirrors only to bring the daylight inside the workshop — that too in 1940s,’ said Qamruzzaman.
Female participation was not entirely uncommon in the process of photo development however, they were not directly involved in the process of photographing. There were families where the female members used to lend a hand in the darkroom and photo development process. Nazrul Islam, a prominent photographer of Jashore, his wife used to stay awake through nights working in the darkroom to assist. Swapan Studio had their darkroom at the family house and female members look after most of the post-production process.
The history of mofussil photography, as related by young photographers of Pathshala, are interwoven history of technology, state and society that created demand for image and scope of a photography as profession and art. Perhaps, that is precisely why Susan Sontag said, ‘to collect photograph is to collect the world.’ The essence Sontag’s statement echoes in the voice of the young photographers — one cannot disentangle the history of photography from its context.
Nahid Riyasad is a member of the New Age Youth team.
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