Sayeeda Khanam (1937–2020), Bangladesh’s first female professional photographer, is remembered today on the anniversary of her death.
Khanam began her career in 1956 with Begum, the pioneering women’s magazine, at a time when very few women were present in journalism or photography. She went on to build an extraordinary body of work spanning portraiture, cultural events, and political history.
During the Liberation War of 1971, she documented women’s participation in training camps and broader aspects of the struggle, offering images that challenged narrow representations of women as only victims of war.
Beyond journalism, Khanam also worked with filmmaker Satyajit Ray, capturing stills for several of his films, and covered international events including the 1973 Non-Aligned Movement Summit. Her photographs reflected both everyday lives and historic moments.
For her contributions, she was honored with the UNESCO award in 1985 and the Ekushey Padak in 2019.
Sayeeda Khanam’s life and work stand as a landmark in Bangladesh’s visual and feminist history. Her courage behind the camera opened pathways for women in photography and beyond.
Bangladesh Feminist Archives 