“A photographer is always a fighter constantly facing conflicts both

externally and internally. Overcoming these conflicts require

intense desire to reach one’s goal, hard work,

commitment, dedication and sacrifice.”

After a career of more than 20 years as a press photographer Azizur Rahim peu, a founding member of DrikNEWS an international news photo agency, is presently involved in documentary photography. This ultimate severing of the umbilical cord was no less than his earlier sacrifice of a career in medicine to embark on a journey of self discovery―a voyage that led him finally to the much yearned B.A. in Photography at Pathshala, the South Asian Institute of Photography. Once he had been petrified that he would never be able to complete graduation just like the eccentric, old lady had predicted in his childhood. This curse was finally uplifted in 2001.

As a established photojournalist peu had covered exclusives like the flood of ’88, the ’91 cyclone and experienced the shattering agony of losing a colleague under the wheels of a train―a fate which could have been his as well, or undergoing the burning sensation of a tear gas attack at night which was completely forgotten and replaced the next morning by the infinite ecstasy on seeing his name in print beside the hard earned photograph. This was one aspect of the job that had intoxicated him, kept him lost in its mystifying labyrinth for more than two decades. Until recently the deceptive quicksand had retained a strong hold on him in spite of all his attempts to break loose and seek emancipation in the arena of documentary photography.

With many prestigious awards to his name, peu’s works have been published and exhibited both nationally and internationally: the National Museum Dhaka, Royal Tropical Museum in Amsterdam, different kindergarten schools in Berlin (organized by Publicata Society of Berlin, Germany) and the Chobi Melas. An individual who is always bent on self improvement, peu is the author of “Chobi: Alor Bhasha” (a book on Photojournalism) and a book on “Street Children”. With his clarity of vision, honesty, ethical approach, love for the profession and dedication to the people he cares about, he feels his subjects or images rather than evaluate them for commercial purposes.  

Azizur Rahim peu believes that he is a photographer who is constantly fighting for his identity in a society which has reservations in acknowledging this profession.