Drik Images South Asia's Leading Photographic Archive and Agency (Bangladesh)

History and Founding

Drik Images is the photo agency and picture library department of Drik Picture Library Limited, an independent media organisation founded in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 4 September 1989 by photographer and activist Shahidul Alam and writer and anthropologist Rahnuma Ahmed. The name Drik is Sanskrit for 'vision'. The organisation was established in response to the predominance of Western photographers and Western media organisations in producing and distributing images of the developing world. The Drik Images stock photo website was formally launched on 1 December 2013 as a digital platform for licensing high-quality images from South Asia and beyond.

Collections and Holdings

Drik Images holds a unique and growing collection spanning over 200,000 images in total. The collection ranges from historical photographs of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and early twentieth-century glass plate photographs to large-format architectural images and contemporary high-resolution digital material. The library functions simultaneously as a photographic archive and an active stock image agency, updated with new work daily. Collections cover documentary, social, cultural, environmental, and political photography from South Asia and the wider world.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

Drik Images is the leading photo agency in South Asia and a significant resource for editorial and commercial image licensing. Its archive includes photojournalistic coverage of major events in Bangladeshi and South Asian history, human rights documentation, and images of conflict, migration, and natural disasters. The collection's historical section includes some of the earliest documentary photography of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. In 1993, World Press Photo held its first award exhibition in Asia at the Drik Gallery, marking the organisation's significance to international visual journalism. Drik has since co-hosted multiple major international exhibitions and festivals.

Access and Usage

Drik Images licences photographs for editorial and advertising use and offers fine art prints for sale. Photo consultancy and digitisation services and research support are also available. The stock photo portal at drikimages.com allows online search and licensing. The physical Drik library and gallery are located at DrikPath Bhobon, 16 Sukrabad, West Panthapath, Dhaka. Drik is the organiser of Chobi Mela, Asia's longest-running international photography festival, and operates Pathshala South Asian Media Academy.