Photo : BSS

DHAKA, Jan 23, 2026 (BSS) - Renowned photographer and author Rupert Grey on Tuesday highlighted Bangladesh’s vitality, cultural energy and global significance while speaking at a book discussion in the capital.

The discussion was held on Grey’s book “Homage to Bangladesh: A Memoir of a Time and a Place” at The Book Worm at Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park here this afternoon.

Professor Imran Rahman of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) engaged with the author in conversation focusing on the author’s childhood, later life and the motivation behind his love to Bangladesh.

Eminent photographer Shahidul Alam also joined the event.

Responding to the queries, Grey said the book is a personal testament shaped by decades of engagement with Bangladesh rather than a formal historical account. 

He said his early life experiences, extensive travels and long association with the country influenced his perspective and storytelling.

Highlighting the speciality of Chobi Mela event held in Bangladesh, Grey said the internationally acclaimed photography festival is unique for its ability to challenge dominant western narratives by placing Bangladeshi and Global South photographers at the centre of visual storytelling. 

He said Chobi Mela pioneered the practice of enabling local photographers to document their own country, thereby reshaping how Bangladesh is represented in global media.

He recalled his first visit to Bangladesh through Chobi Mela and said the festival’s dynamic working style, creative resilience and commitment to alternative ways of seeing the world set it apart from photography festivals elsewhere, particularly in Europe.

Rejecting the long-standing negative portrayal of Bangladesh in international discourse, Grey described the country as vibrant and full of life, saying its streets reflect an energy rarely found in some western cities.

During the discussion, the author also spoke about a  road journey from Mumbai to Bangladesh in a vintage Rolls-Royce, which later became the documentary 'Romantic Road'. Hollywood actor Sharon Stone served as the executive producer of the film, he added.

Grey said his children’s exposure to Bangladesh at an early age played a significant role in shaping their worldview, noting that such experiences influenced his daughter’s later academic work in environmental studies, as he said.

The book is a powerful photographic portrayal of a love affair with Bangladesh by Rupert Grey, who has been visiting Bangladesh since 1992. He first came to Bangladesh as a London lawyer armed with three Nikon cameras and now, thirty years later, he is a photographer armed with a useful legal background.

Journalists, students, academics, cultural practitioners and human rights activists joined the discussion.

Mentionable, Grey first came to Bangladesh in 1992 and visited Sundarbans where Shahidul Alam accompanied him during the journey. Later he came to Bangladesh several times to participate in Chobi Mela event and this is the ninth time he came to Bangladesh.