The Chobi Mela photography festival in Dhaka continues to spotlight Bangladesh’s rich photographic heritage while addressing contemporary political and social struggles facing the region. Now in its 25th year, the festival serves as a platform not only for visual storytelling but also for critical reflection on shared experiences of conflict, exile, and resistance across South Asia and beyond.

Founded by photographer and activist Shahidul Alam, the festival and its associated institutions—Drik Picture Library and Pathshala South Asian Media Institute—seek to challenge prevailing Western narratives about Bangladesh and its history. Alam emphasized the importance of changing the storyteller to reshape perceptions, noting that much of the world’s understanding has long been shaped by external portrayals that overlook local context and agency.

This year’s festival features a diverse range of works, including stark images documenting the 2024 student uprising that led to the resignation of Bangladesh’s then-prime minister. Curators Munem Wasif and Sarker Protick, both educators at Pathshala, highlighted the difficulties in fostering international collaboration due to limited funding and political instability. Several corporate sponsors withdrew support this year, forcing organizers to rely heavily on digital submissions and in-house printing to assemble the exhibits.

The festival also addresses broader regional and global struggles. Iranian photographer Amak Mahmodiian, a political exile based in England, contributed a series exploring the collective dreams and narratives of displaced communities amid ongoing crises like Iran’s internet blackout and governmental crackdowns. Wasif remarked on the parallels among countries in the region, noting shared histories of oppression even in the absence of strong collaborative infrastructure.

Within Bangladesh, photography remains the dominant medium of artistic expression partly because it has historically developed outside traditional government-supported institutions. Prostick pointed out that many of the nation’s significant visual records—both historical and contemporary—are preserved and celebrated through photography, a medium uniquely suited to document the complex realities of the country’s past and present.

One notable highlight is the first retrospective of Amanul Huq (1925–2013), a pioneering Bangladeshi photographer whose work spans from the 1950s Bengali Language Movement to the nation’s 1971 Liberation War. Prostick selected 83 prints from Huq’s archive for display at the Bangladesh National Museum. The images range from harrowing scenes of conflict and ethnic cleansing to more intimate, rural landscapes emblematic of Bangladesh’s ongoing transformation amid natural forces like river erosion and sediment deposition.

By combining historically significant works with contemporary voices addressing ongoing struggles, Chobi Mela continues to serve as a vital forum for dialogue, education, and cultural preservation in Bangladesh and the wider South Asian region. Through its exhibitions and educational programs, the festival challenges audiences to reconsider visual narratives and engage more deeply with the complexities shaping the region’s past and future.