Bangladeshi contestant wins international photographic contest

Islamabad: The East-West Center Association Islamabad Chapter (EWCA-IC), an alumni body of EWC-Hawaii, has been collaborating in ‘Art for Climate Change’ activities with Gallery 6 and Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change since 2016. Continuing their activities on environmental issues, an international photographic competition to promote EWC’s mission of better understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific was convened.

Titled ‘Visual Dialogue on Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Environment,’ the competition brought closer, photographers of the 24 countries/regions where the 53 EWC Chapters are located to appreciate biodiversity, climate change, environmental degradation and conservation efforts. They were invited to focus on the negative impacts on biodiversity, of increasing floods, land degradation through erosion, excessive consumption of fossil fuel, rapid deforestation, and effects on humans including looming water crisis, etc.

The competition received more than 150 entries. Besides Pakistan, photohraphers from Argentina, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Timor Leste and the USA participated. Sanchayan Chowdhury from Bangladesh won the best photographer prize for the photo ‘Enhanced Sufferings.’ Chowdhury is a 42 year-old software engineer and a passionate photographer. The photograph was taken at the Maa-O-Shishu Hospital in Chittagong in July 2021, when the floods inundated this Mother and Child Hospital.

According to Chowdhury, over the last 8-10 years, the region has received more rain than before due to the effects of climate change. The torrential rains have often flooded the hospital, increasing the sufferings of the patients, their families and the staff providing care. The photograph very well visually presents this alarming situation. Chowdhury received $300 as the award, besides recognition and publicity through EWC Newsletter, which is circulated in the mentioned countries.

The competition was open for members, alumni and citizens of all 24 countries/regions where the 53 EWC chapters are located. This includes Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Latin America, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Ontario, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Timor, Thailand, USA and Vietnam.

The project incharge was Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, ex-Federal Secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Vice President of EWCA-IC. He was assisted by Dr. Arjumand Faisel, President of EWCA-IC and Curator of Gallery 6 with his team.