Capturing Ray in frames

Sayeeda Khanam, the first female photojournalist in our country

As a child often falling ill Khanam would stare outside her bedroom window, being awed and mesmerised by the vastness of the Padma River, the skies varying colors, the birds flocking back to their nests, the static mountains and the ferocious seas. She had this tremendous urge to capture all this forever. It was during a visit to Kolkata that she had the opportunity to visit a famous photography exhibition called “LIFE” entrancing her and changing her life forever. During that visit as a challenge with her friend to prove that photography was a special kind of art in its highest form she embraced the camera and made it her life partner.

It was a path filled with impediments and trepidation, her father fervidly objecting and the society raising ruthless eyebrows. It was her mother and maternal aunt poetess Mahmuda Khatun Siddika who gave their constant support and her elder sister Professor Hamida Khanam who had gifted her her very first Toika camera that encouraged Sayeeda to go ahead. Mentally her biggest inspiration was the world famous director Satyajit Ray whose personality and films taught Sayeeda to look at things with an open and different perspective. For 30 years she was his personal photographer.

As a woman in the '50s trying to make a profession out of photography wasn't simple and neither is it today admits Khanam. Back in her time she had to rely solely on photography magazines that were also rarely available to master the techniques, linings and composition of photography. Lack of good educational and training institutes in this line is a major reason for this drawback. Another major problem for today's women is the deteriorating security situation in our country.

Her first appearance as a professional photographer was in 1956 at the International Photography Exhibition held in Dhaka. Khanam was also a photographer for the magazine Begum for many years. In addition she has worked as a press photographer. She has photographed prominent personalities like Queen Elizabeth, the Queen of Japan, the Presidents of Malaysia and Indonesia and the first men to step on the moon, among others. She has participated in various photography exhibitions in countries such as Japan, France, Sweden, Pakistan and Cyprus. She has represented Bangladesh in the All India Photojournalism Conference held in Kolkata and the All India Women's Conference in 1980 held in New Delhi. She has also been a photographer for the 6th Asian Games. She represented Bangladesh in the 52nd United Nations D.P.I NGO Conference held in New York, USA. From 1992 to 2001 Khanam held solo exhibitions on world-renowned personalities such as Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa.

The accolades Khanam has achieved in her lifetime are innumerable. Here are but a few- International Award Cologne, Germany (1956), first position in the All Pakistan Photo Contest (1960), Certificate in Commonwealth Photo Contest, Cyprus (1980), UNESCO Award, Japan (1985), she also got the 2002 B.P.S Rajatjayanti Award.

This great awe inspiring persona still lives amongst us, silently encouraging the younger generation to go for the impossible and make it possible.