Raghubir Rai Passes Away at 83

Indian photographer Raghubir Rai, widely regarded as one of the most distinguished photojournalists in the country, has died. He passed away on Sunday (26 April) at a private hospital in New Delhi. He was 83 years old, according to NDTV.

Rai was among the foremost foreign photographers to document the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. During that period, he served as the chief photojournalist for The Statesman newspaper. In this capacity, he travelled extensively across refugee camps in India, capturing the severe hardship and living conditions of displaced Bangladeshis who had fled the conflict.

Alongside documenting refugee life, Rai also entered Bangladesh during the war at considerable personal risk. He recorded frontline combat scenes involving freedom fighters, the return of victorious liberation forces following the end of the war, and the surrender of the Pakistan Army. His photographic record from this period has been widely recognised as an important visual archive of the conflict.

Rai’s images from the Liberation War have since been regarded as a significant historical record of the events of 1971. They are frequently cited in discussions of war photography in South Asia and have contributed to his international recognition as a photojournalist.

According to his son, photographer Nitin Rai, Raghubir Rai had been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer for the past two years. He stated that the condition was first diagnosed around two years ago. Although Rai initially recovered from the illness, it later spread to his stomach, which was also treated. In recent times, the cancer had further spread to his brain. Nitin Rai also noted that age-related health complications emerged in addition to the progression of the disease.

The family has confirmed that the last rites will be performed in New Delhi at 4:00 pm local time on Sunday.

Key Details

Rai’s body of work, particularly his coverage of the Bangladesh Liberation War, remains a significant part of his professional legacy in the field of documentary photography.