There are well over a hundred photo festivals around the world, and new ones pop up almost daily. Many claim to be international, usually exhibiting a few local photographers alongside some international — read Western — photographic luminaries. What sets apart the Chobi Mela International Festival of Photography in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is that it is not only truly international, but is also perhaps the world’s most demographically inclusive festival. Running this year from January 25th through February 7th, it will feature photographers from 23 countries, with a focus on photography from China, Russia, Nigeria, Latin America and the Middle East as well as Bangladesh.

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