Counter Foto - A Center for Visual Arts

Counter Foto - A Center for Visual Arts Counter Foto - A Center for Visual Arts is an international photography-focused educational and cultural institute based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The department of photography at Counter Foto was established on November 23, 2012. Saiful Huq Omi and Andrew Biraj co-founded it. Later Din M Shibly joined as a Head of Academics. For the last one decade or so, Bangladesh has been contributing significantly in the world of photography. Though much have been achieved already, Bangladesh needed a photography institution at Counter Foto for caterin

g unique photographic education not only in Bangladesh but also other parts in Asia. On top of everything, we have always felt that, photography needs to be taught in a different way; it has to be indigenous having a deep social, political and cultural root in our own society, which enable the student to question themselves as well as the prevailing western notions. In that sense Counter Foto has created a niche space for the photographers since from its inception.

19/08/2026

At Counter Foto – A Center for Visual Arts, we hold that photography is never merely an image. It is an inscription of time, a rupture in the visible, and a site where memory, power, and resistance converge.

On this World Photography Day 2026, we celebrate the gaze that unsettles dominant narratives, the frame that redeems the overlooked, and image-making as a critical practice that questions, heals, and transforms.

To all practitioners who traverse light and shadow, may each photograph emerge as both testimony and horizon, wound and awakening - a performative act of decolonial seeing.

Counter Foto alumna and faculty member Tanjila Munia will be joining The Flow Fest’s Summer Flow 2026 as a facilitator w...
13/08/2026

Counter Foto alumna and faculty member Tanjila Munia will be joining The Flow Fest’s Summer Flow 2026 as a facilitator with her session, “Mindful Photography”.

Through this session, she will try to explore photography as a mindful practice, finding stillness, observing, and creating from a place of presence rather than rushing to capture.

Date: August 21–22, 2026
Venue: Gulshan Shooting Club, Dhaka
Time: 4 PM

Counter Foto is excited to be part of Summer Flow 2026 with . Two days of movement, creativity, and community at Gulshan Shooting Club, August 21–22.

Use my code [COUNTERFOTOXFLOW] for 20% off your pass. Let's flow together.

Get Your Tickets: https://quicket.me/events/summerflow

Warmest congratulations to Counter Foto alumna Farzana Akhtar on her selection for the prestigious Eddie Adams Workshop ...
13/08/2026

Warmest congratulations to Counter Foto alumna Farzana Akhtar on her selection for the prestigious Eddie Adams Workshop (EAW ###IX) 2026. She will take part in this four-day immersive workshop, scheduled for October 9 to 12, 2026, in Jeffersonville, New York, USA.

Farzana Akhtar is a freelance photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has been practising photography since 2015. After completing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance, she went on to study a diploma in professional photography at Counter Foto. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Fine Arts at Louisiana State University, USA.

Counter Foto takes great pride in her accomplishment and wholeheartedly wishes her continued success throughout the workshop and in all her future artistic pursuits.

Photo: Eddie Adams Workshop

We warmly invite you to an inspiring and thought-provoking artist talk by Rasel Rana (Sajan), a multidisciplinary artist...
07/08/2026

We warmly invite you to an inspiring and thought-provoking artist talk by Rasel Rana (Sajan), a multidisciplinary artist and Cultural Practitioner based in Bangladesh.

In this session, Rasel Rana will share their artistic practice, which explores the intersections of identity, queerness, cultural heritage, and collective memory through diverse mediums, including performance art, collagraphy, mixed media, and community-based practices.

Drawing deeply from personal experiences, including living with a vocal cord disorder, Rasel transforms vulnerability into powerful expressions of resilience, inclusivity, and resistance. Their practice bridges traditional Bangladeshi art forms with contemporary artistic languages, creating spaces where marginalized narratives are made visible and cultural histories are reimagined. From collagraphy on sarees to the revival of ancient wall-painting techniques, Rasel's work challenges dominant social norms while celebrating overlooked traditions and communities. Through performances, workshops, and collaborative projects, they approach art as a site of dialogue, healing, and transformation, grounded in compassion, cultural preservation, and a commitment to social justice.

🗓 Date: 8 August 2026 (Saturday)
⏰Time: 6:00 PM
📍Venue: 14 East Shewrapara, Mirpur, Dhaka 1216

We would be delighted to have you with us, as your presence will contribute greatly to the dialogue.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

A fleeting moment from the workshop, "Sound-Ground: Sound Recording & Post-Production for Moving Image," led by Nahid Ma...
07/08/2026

A fleeting moment from the workshop, "Sound-Ground: Sound Recording & Post-Production for Moving Image," led by Nahid Masud, production sound mixer, sound designer, and film-sound educator.

Over the course of two intensive days, participants engaged both critically and practically with the expressive possibilities of sound in moving-image practices. Through hands-on exercises in location sound recording, critical listening, and audio post-production, the workshop examined how sound extends beyond technical necessity to become a fundamental language for constructing atmosphere, emotion, rhythm, and narrative.

Grounded in Nahid Masud's extensive professional practice, the sessions explored how sonic decisions shape the way images are perceived, remembered, and experienced. Participants experimented with recording techniques, editing workflows, and the relationship between sound and image, while collectively reflecting on the ethical, aesthetic, and conceptual dimensions of audiovisual storytelling. The workshop encouraged photographers, filmmakers, and visual practitioners to approach sound as the invisible architecture that transforms moving images into immersive spatial experiences.

Photographs: Workshop Participants

We warmly invite you to an inspiring and thought-provoking artist talk by Rasel Rana (Sajan), Multidisciplinary Artist a...
05/08/2026

We warmly invite you to an inspiring and thought-provoking artist talk by Rasel Rana (Sajan), Multidisciplinary Artist and Cultural Practitioner based in Bangladesh.

In this session, Rasel Rana will share their artistic practice, which explores the intersections of identity, queerness, cultural heritage, and collective memory through diverse mediums, including performance art, collagraphy, mixed media, and community-based practices.

Drawing deeply from personal experiences, including living with a vocal cord disorder, Rasel transforms vulnerability into powerful expressions of resilience, inclusivity, and resistance. Their practice bridges traditional Bangladeshi art forms with contemporary artistic languages, creating spaces where marginalized narratives are made visible and cultural histories are reimagined. From collagraphy on sarees to the revival of ancient wall-painting techniques, Rasel's work challenges dominant social norms while celebrating overlooked traditions and communities. Through performances, workshops, and collaborative projects, they approach art as a site of dialogue, healing, and transformation, grounded in compassion, cultural preservation, and a commitment to social justice.

🗓 Date: 8 August 2026 (Saturday)
⏰Time: 6:00 PM
📍Venue: 14 East Shewrapara, Mirpur, Dhaka 1216

We would be delighted to have you with us, as your presence will contribute greatly to the dialogue.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

📌Admission Open: Six-Month Diploma in Photography - Batch 5Dive into this six-month photography program, brief in durati...
03/08/2026

📌Admission Open: Six-Month Diploma in Photography - Batch 5

Dive into this six-month photography program, brief in duration yet comprehensive in content. This diploma lays a firm foundation for your photographic skills, with each phase mentored by experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds who will guide you through the fusion of history, theory, technique, and artistic sensibility.

Completion of the program grants you a certificate that confirms your growth as an artist and opens doors to employment opportunities across government and private photography industries, empowering you to step confidently into the professional arena.

>Course Fee: BDT 30,000
>Program Duration: 6 months (Weekdays)

Registration form: https://forms.gle/LayM5GFpfMsehcdJ8

Limited seats available - seize the opportunity and APPLY NOW!
For admission inquiries, please contact: 01318-672983

So excited to be part of Summer Flow 2026 with . Two days of movement, creativity, and community at Gulshan Shooting Cl...
03/08/2026

So excited to be part of Summer Flow 2026 with . Two days of movement, creativity, and community at Gulshan Shooting Club, August 21–22. Use my code [COUNTERFOTOXFLOW] for 20% off your pass. Let's flow together.

Remembering Aalokchitracharjo Manzoor Alam BegToday marks the 28th Commemoration Day of Manzoor Alam Beg (1931 – 1998), ...
26/07/2026

Remembering Aalokchitracharjo Manzoor Alam Beg

Today marks the 28th Commemoration Day of Manzoor Alam Beg (1931 – 1998), a pioneering figure whose lifelong dedication laid the foundation for the photography education and movement in Bangladesh.

Affectionately known as Beg Sir, he devoted himself to establishing photography as both an art form and a field of education. In 1960, he founded the Begart Institute of Photography, the country's first photography training institute, followed by the establishment of the Bangladesh Photographic Society in 1976. Through his vision, commitment, and tireless efforts, he inspired generations of photographers and helped shape the photographic landscape of Bangladesh. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions, he was honored with the Ekushey Padak in 2007.

The Counter Foto family remembers Aalokchitracharjo Manzoor Alam Beg with profound respect and gratitude. His vision, dedication, and enduring legacy continue to inspire us and the wider photographic community.

May his contributions to photography and arts education continue to guide future generations.

Photo: Md. Main Uddin

*APPLICATIONS OPEN UNTIL 30 JULY*Call for Application: “SOUND-GROUND” - 2-Day hands-on workshop on Sound Recording & Pos...
23/07/2026

*APPLICATIONS OPEN UNTIL 30 JULY*

Call for Application: “SOUND-GROUND” - 2-Day hands-on workshop on Sound Recording & Post-Production for Moving Image by Nahid Masud - production sound mixer, sound designer, and film-sound educator.

In an era where moving images saturate every screen, it is often sound that determines how those images are experienced, remembered, and understood. "Sound-Ground", a two-day hands-on workshop led by Nahid Masud, invites photographers, filmmakers, and visual storytellers to explore sound as a fundamental language of embodied expression rather than a mere technical accompaniment.

Through an intensive engagement with sound recording, critical listening, and audio post-production, participants will investigate how sonic practices construct atmosphere, emotion, rhythm, and meaning within moving images. The workshop seeks to cultivate practitioners who can produce immersive, ethically grounded, and conceptually rigorous audiovisual narratives, recognizing sound as the invisible architecture that transforms images into spatial experiences.
-
Nahid Masud is a production sound mixer, sound designer, and film sound educator with over two decades of experience across film and television. He has shaped the sonic landscapes of numerous critically acclaimed productions, including Master, Ali, Priyo Maloti, Saba, Boli, Barir Naam Shahana, Runway, Nona Joler Kabbo, and Meghmallar, as well as the BBC Media Action drama series Bishaash and Ujan Ganger Naiya, where he served as production sound mixer. As a sound designer, his work extends into films such as Purnograsher Kaal, Return, Otopor Joya, Potua, Shenapoti Dighi, and Moyukh. Alongside his professional practice, he is deeply engaged in film sound education, actively mentoring and sharing his expertise in production sound and audio post-production with emerging generations of filmmakers.

APPLY NOW!

🗓️ Workshop Dates: July 31 & August 1, 2026
📍14 East Shewrapara, Mirpur, Dhaka - 1216
📯 Workshop fee: 3500 BDT
📯 A 30% discount is available to all Counter Foto students and alumni
⚡️Limited seats available

To secure your spot, click the attached registration link, fill out the registration form, and submit your workshop fee to the specified Bkash number.

Registration link: https://forms.gle/tVBX7jGJEJLejjh17
Bkash number: 01518480854 (Bkash Personal, Cash-out charge has to be added along with the fee)

For more information, please contact: 01318672983

Address

14 East Shewrapara, Mirpur
Dhaka
1216

Opening Hours

Monday 10:00 - 18:00
Tuesday 10:00 - 18:00
Wednesday 10:00 - 18:00
Thursday 10:00 - 18:00
Friday 10:00 - 18:00
Saturday 10:00 - 18:00

Telephone

+8801318672983

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Counter Foto - A Center for Visual Arts posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Counter Foto - A Center for Visual Arts:

Shortcuts

Share

Category