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PHOTOGRAPHER: Sony Ramany
Sony Ramany was awarded a first prize (photos catagory) in a youth photography and writing competition , launched by the Thomson Reuters Foundation in partnership with Transparency International (TI) to mark the 20th anniversary of TI, one of one of the world’s leading anti-corruption organisations. We asked young people between the ages of 18 and 30 to depict corruption and how to combat it. The competition was judged by Thomson Reuters Foundation, Transparency International and professional journalists and photographers.
In his words: “Corruption has spread like cancer in our society. Wherever we go, we can hardly get our jobs done without bribery, especially in the government sector …. I have chosen through my profession to fight against the odds the factors that make me a victim within my own society. I chose to be a photographer because I believe a photograph can tell a story easily and can influence people who cannot even read or write.”
Ramany, 21, has worked for the past two years as a junior photographer for New Age, a leading English language daily in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Prior to that, he worked for the national photo agency Focus Bangla. Ramany is studying for a diploma in photojournalism at Pathshala, South Asian Media Institute in Dhaka. His goal is to become a press photographer of international quality.