Kathmandu, October 24:

THT lensman Dhruba Ale has bagged the Peace Photo Award 2008 instituted by the National Forum of Photojournalists and Peace for Nepal.

Ale’s photograph of a policeman opening the door of a temporary police beat at Kothiyaghat in Bardiya district, following the reinstatement of police posts closed during the decade-long insurgency. bagged the first prize.

Ale had clicked the photograph on March 12.

Prakash Mathema won the second prize for his photograph that featured PLA women soldiers in a jubilant mood in Saranbari following the declaration of ceasefire on April 27, 2006. The third prize went to Dinesh Maharjan.

The winning photographs were chosen by a team comprising Narayan Wagle, Ajay Bhadra Khanal, Min Ratna Bajracharya and Dr Sushil Koirala.