DL Desk

The ninth edition of ‘Chobi Mela’, Bangladesh’s premier photographic event and a pioneering festival for the entire Asian continent, will come to an end today. In this regard, all venues situated in South Dhaka such as Beauty Boarding, Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts and Northbrook Hall, including its main venue Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) will be open for all from 11am to 8pm.
Moreover, Mobile exhibitions on rickshaw vans will travel all over Dhaka city and take the exhibitions from door to door. Ensuring the general public’s access has always been an important part of the festival.  
This year’s theme is the topically relevant idea ‘Transition’.  The festival featured over 30 exhibitions with work from 27 artists spanning 16 countries.
Drik Picture Library Limited and Pathshala South Asian Media Institute have been jointly organising the festival biannually since 2000. This year Life Time Achievement award goes to two pioneering photographers of Bangladesh—Sayeda Khanam and Nasir Ali Mamun.  
Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor inaugurated this year’s festival on BSA premises on February 3 and also handed over the crest to the awardees at the programme in the presence of the festival director Shahidul Alam, Iranian photographer Hengameh Golestan, British professor Liz Wells and others.