Abir Abdullah was born in 1971 in Bagerhat, Southern Bangladesh. He obtained a master's degree in marketing from Dhaka University before taking up photography, in a course at the Bangladesh Photographic Institute and later a diploma in photojournalism from Pathshala South East Asian Media Academy. Abdullah was among the first students at Pathshala, and participated in a three-year seminar, which was supported by World Press Photo. He went on to become a tutor at the academy, and is now the vice principal. After working freelance, Abdullah was a staff photographer at Drik Picture Library, and is currently photographer for the European Press Agency in Bangladesh. His work has appeared in numerous publications worldwide, including The New York Times, Asia Week, Der Spiegel, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian and the book New Stories, published by World Press Photo. Among his many achievements are winning the 2001 Phaidon 55 photography competition, and first prizes in South Asian Journalists' Association Photo Awards and the Asian Press Photo Contest. His work has been exhibited around the world, from Mexico and Germany to Iran, China and the USA, as well as in his home country Bangladesh.
