Bangladeshi Photographer wins 2nd prize in 2013 CGAP Photo Contest
Washington, Nov. 19 (World Bank Press Release) — Striking images from Bangladeshi photographers dominated the 2013 CGAP Photo Contest, with “Paperman” by Md Farhad Rahman winning second prize overall, while “Brick Worker” by Moksumul Haque was chosen as the South Asia regional winner. Four other Bangladeshi photographers – Forhad Kamaly, AM Ahad, Mahfuzul Hasan Bhuiyan and Zakir Hossain Chowdhury – were also among the finalists, making Bangladesh the country with the most submissions of the 30 winners and finalists.
A full gallery of the 30 winning photos is available here.
Accomplished Bangladeshi photographer and winner of the 2010 CGAP Photo Contest, Mohammad Rakibul Hasan, was part of this year’s panel of judges. Regarding the second prize winner, “Paperman,” Hasan noted: “You can see there is a great story behind this picture. It’s not actually balanced and that is what adds to the tension.”
The overall winner of the 2013 CGAP Photo Contest is Truong Minh Dien of Vietnam for his photo “Rainy Afternoon.” The winning photo depicts a woman transporting potatoes to a local market in Vietnam during a downpour. The woman’s earnings help feed her husband and two children. The judging panel appreciated Truong Minh Dien’s “Rainy Afternoon” for the way it thoughtfully depicted the resilience of low-income entrepreneurs in Vietnam.
In addition to the compelling story behind the winning image, the judges felt that it was technically excellent. “It takes a disciplined photographer to step back and take a picture like this,” said Stelios Varias, a senior photographer and editor from Thomson Reuters and one of the four judges. “It’s incredibly hard to get a good shot in the rain.”
The judges also selected other photos from around the world as regional winners, finalists, and special mentions, which were chosen for both technical excellence and depiction of the stories and faces behind financial inclusion.
For the second consecutive year, a popular vote on CGAP.org determined a People’s Choice winner. Voters chose “Talented Nesma,” submitted by Mohamad Gouda of Egypt, which depicts a woman who used a microfinance loan to build a painting and embroidery business. The photo received 1,236 votes, nearly 400 more than the next most popular photo.
The 2013 Grand Prize is a $2,000 gift certificate for photography equipment. Photographers from over 90 countries made this the most competitive year for the CGAP Photo Contest, which just finished its eighth consecutive competition. The 2013 panel of judges consisted of Suzanne Lemakis, Director of the Department of Fine Art at Citigroup, Mohammad Rakibul Hasan, the 2010 CGAP Photo Contest winner and professional photographer from Bangladesh, Stelios Varias of Thomson Reuters, and Indira Williams, the Senior Manager of Visual Resources at the Newseum. At the conclusion of the judging session, held on 1 November 2013, Williams noted, “This was an incredible collection of photos and I was impressed by the quality of them.” “The quality of the pictures was really outstanding this year,” added Lemakis.
The annual CGAP Photo Contest aims to highlight stand-out professional and amateur photographers depicting financial inclusion around the world. Through strong photography, CGAP showcases the different ways in which poor households manage their financial lives and how financial inclusion can make the lives of people at the base of the economic pyramid better. “Photos of society and social inequality can help eliminate poverty by creating social awareness,” said Mohammad Rakibul Hasan.
Full List of 2013 CGAP Photo Contest Winners and Finalists:
Grand Prize
Rainy Afternoon
Truong Minh Dien, Vietnam
Second Prize
Paperman
Md Farhad Rahman, Bangladesh
Third Prize
Double Curves
Chi Keung Wong, Mali
People’s Choice
Talented Nesma
Mohamad Gouda, Egypt
Regional Winners
Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Winner
New Tread
Pauline Opmeer, Tanzania
Latin America and Caribbean Regional Winner
Men and Oranges
Luiz Grillo, Brazil
South Asia Regional Winner
Brick Worker
Moksumul Haque, Bangladesh
East Asia and Pacific Regional Winner
The Gold Life
Vo Chi Trung, Vietnam
Europe and Central Asia Regional Winner
Shoe Repair Shop
Bulent Suberk, Turkey
Special Mentions
Press Man
Soumya Shankar Ghosal, India
Sabina
Wim Opmeer, Bolivia
Finalists
The Washerman
Rabin Chakrabarti, India
Production of Ceramic
Van Bang Vo, Vietnam
The Microsmile
Oddvar Paulsen, Uganda
Maize Grinding
Mohammad Saiful Islam, Uganda
Destination
Forhad Kamaly, Bangladesh
Cycle of Life
Mahfuzul Hasan Bhuiyan, Bangladesh
Men at Work
Joydeep Mukherjee, India
Camel Trader
Rabin Chakrabarti, India
Soap
Ben Warren, Burkina Faso
Sieving Lemon Verbena
Wim Opmeer, Paraguay
Crafting Path
AM Ahad, Bangladesh
Potter
Erkan Kalenderli, Turkey
Eggs Vendor
Danilo Victoriano Jr., The Philippines
Wave of Happiness
Roger Alfonso, Thailand
Coins
Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, Bangladesh
New Day, New Nets
Tran Bao Hoa, Vietnam
Carpenter
Vao Giang Tran, Vietnam
Innovation of Microfinance
Sudipto Das, India
Successful Business
Kelly Ranck, Sudan
About CGAP
The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) works toward a world in which everyone has access to the financial services they need to improve their lives. CGAP develops innovative solutions for financial inclusion through practical research and active engagement with financial service providers, policy makers, and funders. Established in 1995 and housed at the World Bank, CGAP combines a pragmatic approach to market development with an evidence-based advocacy platform to advance poor people’s access to finance. Our global network of members includes over 30 development agencies, private foundations, and national governments that share a common vision of improving the lives of poor people with better access to finance. More at www.cgap.org