K M Asad

K M Asad was born in 1983 in the Mughal part of Dhaka city and spent his early life in the vivid alleys of the Bangladeshi capital’s old part. He graduated from ‘Pathshala’ – The South Asian Institute of Photography – where he studied photojournalism between 2005 and 2008.

Coverage of the 2007 Cyclone Sidr deeply affected the then-young photographer and he became determined to turn into a documentary photographer. He has been following the Rohingya crisis — one of the worst global refugee catastrophes since 2012. The National Geographic Magazine in its August 2019 issue’s cover published Asad’s photo from his detailed coverage of the Rohingya in the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. His work has also been taken as permanent collections in the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts (KMOPA) in Japan.

Asad is now mainly working as an independent photographer. He also works as a Zuma Press contractor and Getty Images contributor. He is a fixed-term consultant for the World Bank in Bangladesh. His other clients include the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), International Monetary Fund (IMF), Agence-France Presse (AFP) Service, Plan Bangladesh, EDUCO, Forbes and UNDP Bangladesh.

After completed his photography graduation and working continuously as a professional photographer Asad has received numerous honors and awards including UNICEF Picture Of the Year, China International Press Photo Contest (CHIPP), Picture of the Year International (POYI), Days Japan International Photojournalism Award, New York Press Photographers Association (NPPA), The Lucie Award (IPA).

His works have been published in TIME, New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, La Stampa, CNN, VICE, The Telegraph, BBC, The Guardian, CNBC, Deutsche Welle, Yahoo News, Amnesty International, Los Angeles Times, International Business Times, Human Rights Watch, ABC News, MSN, Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal.

Awards

2020 | Pink lady food photographer of the year – Grand prize winner

      International Festival of Photography PHOTOVISA (Krasnodar, Russia) – 1st place as the Gold winner

      Neutral density photography awards (ND) editorial general news – 2nd place silver 

      Siena International Photo Awards – Honorable Mention

      Siena International Photo Awards – Remarkable Award

2019 | The Lucie awards Deeper perspective photographer of the year (IPA) – 1 ^st Winner

     The Felix Scholler Photo Award – Shortlisted

2018 | Siena International Photo Awards – “Photographer of the Year 2018”

      Xposure International Competitions – Runner-Up

      “Sente Antu Cup” International Photo Contest by Global Photography – Runner-Up.

      FOTODOC Center for Documentary Photography Direct Look photo contest The Conflict category – 3 ^rd Place

      The Alfred Fried Photography Award – Special Award of the Jury

      International Photography Awards IPA Editorial Photo Essay and Feature Story – 1 ^st Place

       International Photography Awards IPA Deeper Perspective – 3 ^rd Place

      International Photography Awards IPA Editorial-Others – Honorable Mention

      International Photography Awards IPA Editorial-General News – Honorable Mention

      International Photography Awards IPA Editorial-General News – Honorable Mention

      PX3 – Prix de la Photographie, Paris – Honorable Mention

      Hamdan International Photography Award “HIPA” ‘The Moment’ Category winner – 1st Place

      The NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism 2018 CATEGORY: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES STORY – Honorable Mention

2017 | UNICEF photo of the year 2017 _ “Second Place”

     Allard Prize for International Integrity – Winner

     Shining a Light: Experiences of Refugee Women International Photography Contest exhibition Organized by MUHAMMAD ALI CENTER – Winner.

     The Biennial’s Grant for Photography organized by the Biennial of Fine Art & Documentary Photography – Runners Up.

     “Sente Antu Cup” International Photo Contest by Global Photography – Winner.

     Neutral density photography awards professional – Honorable mention. 

     The Lucie awards Deeper perspective photographer of the year organized by International photography awards (IPA) – Honorable Mention

     Black and White spider award –“Second Place”

     Nikon photo contest winner 2016-2017 – “Third Place”

2016 | CBRE UPOTY Urban Photographer of the Year – Asia regional winner

      Siena International Photo Awards – Honorable Mention

      The 16China International Photographic Art Exhibition (CIPAE)

      The 16China International Photographic Art Exhibition (CIPAE)

2015 | Kuala Lumpur International photo award – Highly Commended

      The “Phodar” Biennial photography competition – Shortlist

2014 | Deeper perspective photographer of the year award organized by International photography awards (IPA) – Winner

      Best of photojournalism (NPPA) Contemporary issue –” Third Place”

      China international press photo contest (CHIPP) Disaster news category –“Second Place”

      Days Japan photo contest –“Second Place”

      Sony World Photography Awards professional current affair – Shortlist

      Professional Photographer of the Year UK –“Second Place”

      The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography Grant – Top Finalist

      Fotovisura grant for outstanding personal photography project – Honorable Mention

      9th Annual Black & White Spider Awards Honour of Distinction in Photojournalism –” Third Place”

      Moscow International Photo awards –” Third Place”

2013 | Picture of the Year International (POYI) News picture story- Freelance/Agency –” First Place”

      Invisible Photographer Asia (IPA) Documentary Award –” First Place”

      8th Black and white spider awards in photojournalism professional –” Third Place”

      International photography awards (IPA) – Honorable Mention

      Fotosalon Cakovec – Gold Medal

      Professional photographer of the year (PPOTY) – Shortlist

      Humanity Photo Documentary Awards organized by UNESCO – Winner

      National photo competition –” Third Place”

2012 | Prix Pictet commission award – Nominated

      Art of Photography Show- Special jury award

     CIWEM’s Environmental Photographer of the Year – Winner

     CGAP photography contest – South Asian regional winner

     Invisible Photographer Asia (IPA) for Documentary – Finalist

      Kuala Lumpur international photo awards (KLPA) – Finalist

     7th Black and white spider awards – Honorable Mention

     International exhibition golden spurs 2012- Bronze medal

     Shoot the face photo contest – Honorable Mention

     “Peace is, peace is not” – Winner

2011 | Snowden’s photography competition ‘Celebrating the Mining Industry’- Winner

      Nikon photography contest –” Third Place”

      Environmental photographer of the year – Honorable Mention

      Bursaphotofest photo contest – Awarded

      Photography Gala Award – Honorable Mention

       Image of justice –” Third Place”

      The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Grant – Shortlist

      KAUNAS PHOTO STAR – Finalist

      Olympic day photo competition – Honorable Mention

2010 | View Book Photo Story Documentary Section – Honorable Mention

2009 | Labour photo of the year – 1st 2009, GTZ ‘’Building peace and security development cooperation”- “First Place”

Jury Member

2017 | Republican prize QAZPHOTO Awards (Kazakhstan)

     VOUBS International Photography Awards (Bulgaria)

2016 | Republican prize QAZPHOTO Awards (Kazakhstan)

     “35 award” 2nd international annual photo award (Russia)

     3rd BPS International Photography Competition & Exhibition (Bangladesh)

     JUPC MONTAGE 16 – Exhibition of an Indo-Bangladesh Photography Contest (India)

Nomination

2017 | Gabriele Basilico Prize in Architecture and Landscape Photography

2012 | Prix Pictet commission award

Exhibition and Screening

2020 | Bangladesh National Museum ( January 11 to 18 January)

      Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy ( January 02 to January 08)

2017 | Syngenta Photography Award Grow-Conserve

2016 | The 16China International Photographic Art Exhibition (CIPAE)

2014 | Sony world photography award show

2013 | Delhi photo festival for the work “ Sudden Rain in the street”

2012 | The art of photography show 2010, Art and Witness India