Drik Picture Library Photography Archive and Agency, Dhaka

History and Founding

Drik Picture Library Limited was founded on 4 September 1989 in Dhaka, Bangladesh by photojournalist and activist Shahidul Alam and writer and anthropologist Rahnuma Ahmed. The name Drik is Sanskrit for 'vision'. The organisation was conceived in direct response to the predominance of Western photographers in producing and controlling the global visual narrative of the developing world. Alam had returned to Dhaka in 1984 from London, where he completed a doctorate in organic chemistry, and had documented the democratic struggle against General Ershad. Drik was formally registered in 1994. In the early 1990s, it pioneered the introduction of email in Bangladesh and developed the country's first Bangla font for the internet and its first web portal. In 1993, World Press Photo held its first Asian exhibition at the Drik Gallery. In 2018, Alam was named a Time magazine Person of the Year for his photojournalism and was imprisoned for over 100 days by the Bangladeshi government for criticising its response to road-safety protests, prompting international outcry.

Collections and Holdings

Drik Picture Library operates as an umbrella organisation with departments including Drik Images (photo agency, drikimages.com), Photography, Publication, Audiovisual, DrikNEWS, Gallery and Event Management, and Research and Public Campaign. The image collection exceeds 200,000 items and encompasses historical photographs of the 1971 Liberation War, early twentieth-century glass plates, documentary photography, and contemporary work from South Asia and globally. The library is simultaneously an active archive and a stock image resource, updated daily. Drik's associated international agency, Majority World (founded 2004), promotes photographers from the Global South and is registered in the United Kingdom.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

Drik Picture Library is one of the most significant photojournalism institutions in South Asia and the Global South. Its archive is a primary visual record of Bangladeshi history since independence, including documentation of political transitions, natural disasters, garment factory disasters, human rights abuses, and elections. The library's founding philosophy directly challenged Western editorial control over images of the developing world, and Drik has been central to expanding representation in global photo agencies. Pathshala South Asian Media Academy, established by Alam in 1998, is affiliated with universities in the UK, Norway, and Australia and is considered one of the world's finest photography education institutions.

Access and Usage

Drik Picture Library offers editorial and advertising image licensing through the Drik Images platform, fine art print sales, photo consultancy, and digitisation services. The Drik Gallery in Dhaka hosts exhibitions. Chobi Mela, Asia's longest-running international photography festival, is organised biennially by Drik. Pathshala South Asian Media Academy offers professional photography and media education programmes. The organisation's physical headquarters are at DrikPath Bhobon, 16 Sukrabad, West Panthapath, Dhaka 1207.