Bangladeshi photographer Pinu Rahman has received international recognition in two categories at the Siena Awards 2026, one of the world’s prestigious photography events held in the historic Italian city of Siena.
His photograph “The Golden Burden” won the People category at the Creative Photo Awards 2026, earning him the prestigious Pangea Prize, reads a press release.
Meanwhile, his photograph “Bad Morning in a Burned Valley” received a Highly Commended recognition in the Documentary & Photojournalism category at the Siena International Photo Awards (SIPA) 2026.
The grand award ceremony of the Siena Awards was held at 5pm local time on 10 October at the historic Teatro dei Rinnovati in Siena.
The event was attended by prominent figures from the international photography community, local representatives and other guests.
Its scale and grandeur have earned it a reputation as an Oscar-like event in the world of photography.
After receiving the awards, Pinu said, “Representing Bangladesh on this major international platform and receiving recognition in two separate categories is a matter of great joy and pride for me. This achievement has further strengthened my visual journey and my commitment to storytelling through photography.”
According to information published by the organisers, more than 40,000 photographs from 163 countries were submitted to the three international competitions under the Siena Awards this year.
The 12th edition of the event includes the Siena International Photo Awards, Creative Photo Awards and Drone Photo Awards.
This year’s festival is being held at various venues in Siena and its surrounding areas from 10 October to 29 November.
The award-winning photographs will be displayed for visitors at the festival’s main exhibition, People Sharing All the World.
According to the organisers, the photographs will also be featured in the bilingual special photobook series Beyond the Lens.
At SIPA 2026, Italian photographer Stefano Rosselli was named Photographer of the Year for his photograph “Amina”, taken in Afghanistan.
Pinu has been involved in photography since 2012.
Through portraits, social photography, travel photography and documentary photography, he tells stories about people and society.
Earlier, he was named Bangladesh’s National Winner at the Sony World Photography Awards 2026. His work has been published in various media outlets at home and abroad.
His two achievements — winning the Pangea Prize as a category winner at the Creative Photo Awards and receiving a Highly Commended recognition at SIPA — mark an important occasion for increasing the visibility of Bangladeshi photography on the international stage.
