The World Photography Organisation revealed the shortlist for the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards on Tuesday, which included two Bangladeshi photographers: Suvra Kanti Das and KM Asad.
Suvra Kanti Das’s photograph of a puja during the Rakher Upobash in Narayangonj was one of the 8 submissions shortlisted in the Arts and Culture section.
KM Asad’s image of Rana Plaza was one of the 10 shortlisted for the Current Events category.
Photographers from 166 countries submitted nearly 140,000 images, the highest number of entries in the awards’ seven year history.
From the submissions, the judges selected an eclectic shortlist representing “the very finest in international contemporary photography from the past 12 months,” the organisation said in a press release.
WM Hunt, the chair of the honorary jury, said that the shortlist is “a healthy and diverse representation of contemporary photography by an international range of practitioners.”
The judges said the submissions told many stories which encouraged the viewer to find something surprising within the everyday.
Well-documented scenes were approached with fresh and ground-breaking photography styles, and are set to inspire other photographers around the world.
He added that the judges were a “soulful and hardworking group” who have given both emerging and established photographers a global platform on which they could be highlighted and celebrated.
Astrid Merget, the creative director of the World Photography Organisation, added: “We are fortunate enough to receive thousands of entries across each category of our awards, making the process of discovery an invigorating experience. This year is no exception and the awards have once again provided us with an impressive collection of photographs, spanning dozens of genres, styles, locations and subject matters.”
All the shortlisted images will go on show at Somerset House in London from May 1-18, as part of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition.