honorable mention
Shoeb Faruquee bangladesh
Photo © Shoeb Faruquee
title
Komala mental hospital
In 1880, an Ayurvedic doctor named Girish Chandra Das established this mental hospital in his own residence to serve poor people. According to history, this might be the first mental hospital in Bangladesh.According to the director and chief doctor Anutosh Kumar Das, in the beginning stage of the treatment, admitted patient is kept in a small room where his feet are chained with a heavy wooden log in a way which allows him to sit comfortably but not to stand. In local language, this log is called ‘Kunda’. In the following days, the patient is given herbal medicine and fooding. When his mental instability gradually improves the patient is freed from the Kunda. In this stage, only his feet are chained so that he can perform the daily activities like taking shower comfortably. After a few days, when the patient moderately stabilizes, the chain is removed and he is placed in a room where he is treated with herbal medicine prepared by their own custom method. Though the chain and log therapy may seem cruel but according to the doctor, this is absolutely necessary because most of the patients who come here are extremely violent by nature and if given a chance to stand they attack people or even try to commit suicide.During the 1971’s Liberation War, most of the instruments of this hospital was robbed or stolen. The institution has been facing a critical financial crisis ever since. The proprietor and Chief Doctor of the Mental hospital Mr. Anutose Pual says thousands have been cured there since it was founded in 1880, though this institution is running at a complete loss he is maintaining this facility to keep the family heritage.
I started Photography in early eighty’s and as I find my passion with photoart, then I involved myself with photography for full time from 1990.
I am the Founder Director of Photobank Gallery which already nationally and internationally acclaimed a versatile photographic institution including stock photo agency, Photoart Institute, a teaching and training academy of photography. I am also an honorary fellow and was an advisor of Bangladesh Photographic Society (BPS) and an honorary guest teacher of Architecture department of Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology.
I was a member of the Juries for several national and international photography contests. I have conducted different photographic workshops in home and abroad. My photographs are published in many renowned dailies, magazines and journals around the world such as Stern, Geo, Telegraph, New Internationalist Magazine, Readers Digest Australia and many others.
More than 200 of my exhibited and awarded photographs have been published in international exhibition catalogues, commemorative books and coffee-table books. My portfolio on ‘Ship Breaking Yard in Chittagong' have been exhibited at World Press Photo Award Days at Felix Meritis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 2005.My solo exhibition entitled ‘Manush’ (Humans) was organized by Alliance Francaise de Chittagong. “Chirayato Chattagram” my another solo exhibition was organized at Haatkhola art gallery. “Lights of my soul” a month long Photo art exhibition was organized by Radisson blue Chittagong. A photographic presentation on ‘Evening Photography Talk with the Photographer Shoeb Faruquee’ was held in Dar Ibne Al-Haytham for Visual Arts in Al-Bastakia, Dubai in 2010.
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entry description
Kamala Ayurvedic (Herbal) Mental Hospital, Zoara, Chittagong. Bangladesh.In 1880, an Ayurvedic doctor named Girish Chandra Das established this mental hospital in his own residence to serve poor people. According to history, this might be the first mental hospital in Bangladesh.According to the director and chief doctor Anutosh Kumar Das, in the beginning stage of the treatment, admitted patient is kept in a small room where his feet are chained with a heavy wooden log in a way which allows him to sit comfortably but not to stand. In local language, this log is called ‘Kunda’. In the following days, the patient is given herbal medicine and fooding. When his mental instability gradually improves the patient is freed from the Kunda. In this stage, only his feet are chained so that he can perform the daily activities like taking shower comfortably. After a few days, when the patient moderately stabilizes, the chain is removed and he is placed in a room where he is treated with herbal medicine prepared by their own custom method. Though the chain and log therapy may seem cruel but according to the doctor, this is absolutely necessary because most of the patients who come here are extremely violent by nature and if given a chance to stand they attack people or even try to commit suicide.During the 1971’s Liberation War, most of the instruments of this hospital was robbed or stolen. The institution has been facing a critical financial crisis ever since. The proprietor and Chief Doctor of the Mental hospital Mr. Anutose Pual says thousands have been cured there since it was founded in 1880, though this institution is running at a complete loss he is maintaining this facility to keep the family heritage.
about the photographer
I, Shoeb Faruquee a self-thought photographer, born in Patiya, Chittagong, Bangladesh in 1960. I spent my early life in village and later I settled in Chittagong city and finish my science graduation from Chittagong College in 1982. My father Miah Faruquee is a Freedom fighter, veteran politician and a writer.I started Photography in early eighty’s and as I find my passion with photoart, then I involved myself with photography for full time from 1990.
I am the Founder Director of Photobank Gallery which already nationally and internationally acclaimed a versatile photographic institution including stock photo agency, Photoart Institute, a teaching and training academy of photography. I am also an honorary fellow and was an advisor of Bangladesh Photographic Society (BPS) and an honorary guest teacher of Architecture department of Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology.
I was a member of the Juries for several national and international photography contests. I have conducted different photographic workshops in home and abroad. My photographs are published in many renowned dailies, magazines and journals around the world such as Stern, Geo, Telegraph, New Internationalist Magazine, Readers Digest Australia and many others.
More than 200 of my exhibited and awarded photographs have been published in international exhibition catalogues, commemorative books and coffee-table books. My portfolio on ‘Ship Breaking Yard in Chittagong' have been exhibited at World Press Photo Award Days at Felix Meritis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 2005.My solo exhibition entitled ‘Manush’ (Humans) was organized by Alliance Francaise de Chittagong. “Chirayato Chattagram” my another solo exhibition was organized at Haatkhola art gallery. “Lights of my soul” a month long Photo art exhibition was organized by Radisson blue Chittagong. A photographic presentation on ‘Evening Photography Talk with the Photographer Shoeb Faruquee’ was held in Dar Ibne Al-Haytham for Visual Arts in Al-Bastakia, Dubai in 2010.
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