Bangladesh Photographic Society

Bangladesh Photographic Society (BPS) an organisation of the professional and amateur photographers of Bangladesh, established on 1st January 1976 through the joint efforts of some senior and junior photographers. Anyone interested in photography can apply for membership. The main objectives of BPS are: to develop the state of photography in the country; to promote photography among the masses and to make it an interesting profession; to spread knowledge of photography; to organise seminars and symposia; to preserve the rights of the photographers and to guide them in this regard; and to organise photographic contests at home and abroad with a view to upholding the image of the country in the world.

The society regularly publishes its monthly bulletin, Photography. BPS has a library and a gallery of its own. The society regularly arranges monthly photographic contests on various topics to encourage amateur photographers. Besides, the society organises a national photographic competition annually and an international photographic competition biennially. BPS has a training wing: the Bangladesh Photographic Institute. The institute conducts month-long basic photography courses. A total number of 600 persons in 65 batches so far received photographic training from this institute.

The members of BPS have been honoured with more than six hundred international awards. Among them the most celebrated is ma beg. Mr Beg was selected as one of the eleven best photographers of the world at the International Photographic Conference held in Kolkata (previously spelled as calcutta) in 1982. BPS also honoured him with the highest title of photographic honour 'Alokchitracharya' in 1998. BPS received the membership of the International Photographic Federation in 1982. It has four branch offices, one each in chittagong, sylhet, barisal and rajbari. [Bayazid Akter]