Pandemic in panorama
For the first time in my life I faced such horrific times.
I felt helpless as I had to lock myself and my family in my flat in Dhaka for a long time. My parents live outside of Dhaka.
News of death came from everywhere. Some abandoned their parents in the woods or roadside, hundreds of families starved for days while the rich celebrated their birthdays and marriage anniversaries and put up pictures on social media. My conscience was shaken. I felt guilty.
I was also concerned about the low wage earners around me, besides my own peers. To see how these daily wage earners end up, I took my camera and went out walking.
At first, it was scary. There were almost no one in the streets. When someone stared at me, I had a feeling something was going to happen to me.
After hours of walking, I took out my camera. Then I started to capture the things happening before my eyes.
One day at a time, I walked on the streets of Uttara, Banasree, Badda, Gulshan, Hatirjheel, New Market and Dhanmondi.
I always love taking pictures with film cameras because behind every shot, a train of thought runs in your head.
I have worked for 12 years to photograph rivers with a black and white panorama camera. After 2005, the digital media has removed many things from our lives.
Since 2016, I have started collecting black and white films and developing agents again. Some friends sent it from abroad. I bought some too. Whenever I get time, I go out with my panorama camera and develop black and white films at home.
Text and photos: Bashir Ahmed Sujan
Bashir Ahmed Sujan is a visual storyteller. He is one of the member photographers of Map Photo Agency, a leading photography agency in Bangladesh. His website: www.sujanmap.com
