Sayeda Khanam, the country's first female professional photographer to receive the Ekushey Award, is no more (Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilahi Raziun). She died at 3pm on Monday (August 17). Sayeda Khanam was 82 years.
She will be buried next to her mother's grave at Banani graveyard on Tuesday.
Sayeda Khanam holds a Masters in Bengali Literature and Library Science from Dhaka University. Her father was Abdus Samad Khan and mother was Nasima Khatun. Although her ancestral home was in Bhanga of Faridpur, she was born in Pabna on December 29, 1936. She started working as a steel camera woman. At that time she was the only and the first female photographer in East Bengal (present Bangladesh).
Sayeda Khanam started working as a photojournalist through weekly 'Begum' newspaper. Her pictures were published in various newspapers including Observer, Morning News, Ittefaq and Sangbad. As a photographer, she participated in various international seminars at home and abroad. She also worked as a photographer for three Oscar-winning films of Satyajit Ray.
She received various awards and recognition in Japan including UNESCO Award, Ananya Top Ten Award, Begum Patrika 50th Anniversary Award, Honorary Fellow of Bangladesh Photographic Society. Besides taking pictures, she also used to write. Her notable books are 'Dhulomati', 'Amar chokhey Satyajit Ray', 'Smritir path beye' and three novels.