Shahidul Alam | |
|---|---|
| শহিদুল আলম | |
 Shahidul Alam in 2017 | |
| Born | 1955 (age 68–69) |
| Nationality | Bangladeshi |
| Education | Jhenidah Cadet College, University of Liverpool |
| Alma mater | University of Liverpool (BSc) Bedford College, University of London (D.Phil) |
| Occupation(s) | Photojournalism, teaching, social rights activism |
| Known for |
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| Spouse | Rahnuma Ahmed |
| Father | Kazi Abul Monsur |
| Relatives | Kazi Salahuddin (cousin) Nassakh Nawab Abdul Latif |
Shahidul Alam (born 1955) is a Bangladeshi media institution builder, a photojournalist, public speaker, storyteller, writer, blogger, curator, and educationist.
Alam founded Drik Picture Library in 1989, Pathshala in 1998, Chobi Mela in 1999, and Majority World in 2004.[1]
Drik's work as an internet provider introduced email to Bangladesh in the early 90s. Drik developed a Bangla font for the internet, Bangladesh's first webzine and first portal.
Alam's books include Nature's Fury (2007) and My Journey as a Witness (2011).
A photographer for over forty years, his work has been featured in leading publications across the globe and exhibited in MOMA, Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, the Royal Albert Hall, and Kuala Lumpur National Art Gallery. He was the first Asian Chair of the International Jury of World Press Photo.[2] Alam has spoken at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and Stanford universities.
Alam was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in 2001.[3] In 2014, he was awarded the Shilpakala Padak by the President of Bangladesh and in 2018 the Humanitarian Award from the Lucie Awards. He was a Time magazine persons of the year in 2018. He was the CASE Humanitarian of the Year in 2021. He is an Advisory Board Member of National Geographic Society and a National Geographic Explorer at Large. In 2022, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Arts in London, which he returned in 2024 because of the university's complicity in Israel's occupation of Palestine.[4][5]
- ^ Estrin, James (19 July 2013). "Wresting the Narrative From the West". Lens Blog. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
- ^ Karim, Fariha (April 2009). "Shahidul Alam. The man who transformed the face of photography in Bangladesh". universes.art. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Honorary Fellowships – RPS". Royal Photographic Society. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- ^ "Photographer Shahidul Alam returns his honorary doctorate to the University of the Arts London". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ Star, The Daily. "Solidarity with Palestine: Shahidul Alam returns honorary UK university doctorate". asianews.network. Retrieved 7 August 2024.