‘Babita Day’ celebrated in Dallas, actress rendered emotional

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Shah Alam Shazu

‘Babita Day’ celebrated in Dallas, actress rendered emotional

Photos: Courtesy

For decades, Babita has remained one of the defining faces of Bangladeshi cinema. Being a multiple National Film Award winner, an Ekushey Padak recipient and a National Film Award Lifetime Achievement honouree, she has represented Bangladesh on some of the world’s biggest cultural stages. Her acclaimed performance in Satyajit Ray’s “Ashani Sanket” introduced her to international audiences and established her as a globally recognised Bangladeshi actress.

Babita added another milestone to her career on August 3 by receiving the Ananda Mela Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ananda Mela Award and Cultural Programme 2026, held at the Church of Scientology in North Hollywood, California, USA.

Speaking to The Daily Star, the veteran actress expressed her joy at receiving the honour.
“I am very happy and deeply honoured. As an artiste from Bangladesh, receiving such a prestigious honour in America means a great deal to me. I am grateful for this Lifetime Achievement Award,” she shared.

Looking back on her decades-long career, Babita said international recognition carries a special significance. “I have spent my entire life acting. When that work is recognised so far away from my own country, it feels even more special. It is a matter of pride to represent Bangladesh abroad. Cinema is one of the greatest cultural mediums of a country, and receiving awards or honours overseas is also a source of pride for the nation.”

The latest honour comes just as Dallas prepares to observe another “Babita Day” on August 5, an annual celebration that has become a unique tribute to the actress.

The proclamation was made during the Dallas Bengali Film Festival in 2023. Babita attended the event in Texas, where Bob Dubey, Mayor of Richardson city in USA's Texas officially declared August 5 as “Babita Day” and presented her with a certificate. Since then, the day has been observed every year in Dallas, making it a rare recognition for a Bangladeshi film star abroad.

For Babita, the honour is about more than personal recognition. “I believe it is part of history because a day has been declared in the name of a Bangladeshi film artiste. It is celebrated every year on August 5. One day none of us will be here, but the day will continue to be observed. I am truly moved.”

She added, “It feels wonderful to think that there is a ‘Babita Day’ in Dallas named after me. I feel incredibly fortunate. I will cherish this honour from abroad for the rest of my life.”

Babita has also been recognised in India. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 17th Tele Cine Awards in Kolkata several years ago. More than five decades after earning international acclaim, she continues to receive honours beyond Bangladesh’s borders.

She noted that recognition has come both at home and abroad. “I have received Lifetime Achievement Awards several times in Bangladesh, and I have also received multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards abroad.”