Maa Padak 2026 honours inspiring mothers; Babita reflects on motherhood

The fifth edition of Maa Padak 2026 was held on May 9 in the capital, celebrating the mothers of accomplished personalities from different sectors on the occasion of International Mother’s Day.

The award ceremony took place at Hotel Regency and was organised by Madiha Marshiha Advertising under the supervision and patronage of the Ali-Rupa Foundation. The programme was initiated by journalist Ovi Moinuddin.

Ekushey Padak-winning legendary actor, playwright, and director Abul Hayat attended the event as chief guest and handed over the awards to the recipients. The programme was presided over by Abdul Haque, General Secretary of the Ali-Rupa Foundation. Proyas Group Managing Director Pradyut Kumar Talukdar joined as a special guest, while Moazzem Hossain Chowdhury, Chairman of Ananda Mela–Los Angeles, attended as the honoured guest.

The event received support from City Bank and Royal Café, with additional support from Looks, Chaowali, Eternal Beauty Lounge, and Premium Tours & Communications Limited.

Hosted by Ruhani Salsabil, the ceremony began with a special Maa Padak 2026 honour being presented to legendary actress Babita. The award was later presented to the mothers of celebrated singer Konok Chapa, actor Ahsan Habib Nasim, actress Dr Naznin Chumki, social worker and artist Dithi Anwar, Chairperson of Dhaka University’s Music Department and singer Dr Priyanka Gope, singer Rashed, Dr Afzalur Rahman, Additional District and Sessions Judge Monisha Roy, Bangladesh Bank Additional Director Md Ataur Rahman, journalists Gautam Pande and Farhana Nancy, actress Jannatul Sumaiya Heme, and Air Force Flight Lieutenant Rodela Ruhin Bari.

Alongside the medals, each mother also received gifts courtesy of Royal Café and Looks.

Speaking at the event, Babita reflected on her personal journey of motherhood. She shared that her mother was a doctor and that after her mother’s passing, her elder sister Suchanda took care of the younger siblings. Following Bangladesh’s independence, she dedicated herself to working tirelessly with the dream of presenting the country’s film industry on the global stage.
The actress also opened up about becoming a mother during the busiest period of her career. Her life, she said, soon began revolving entirely around her son, Anik.

“At that time, I was extremely busy with films. Even then, my heart was always full of him. I personally took care of everything related to him,” she said.
After Anik lost his father at a very young age, Babita took on the responsibilities of both parents on her own.
“As a single parent, I have played both the role of a mother and a father,” she added.

Later, her son moved to Canada on a scholarship to pursue higher education, a phase the actress described as one of the emptiest periods of her life.
“My world then became nothing but emptiness. Eventually, I rushed to Canada,” she recalled emotionally.

Despite having opportunities to start a new chapter in life after losing her husband, Babita said she chose to devote herself entirely to raising her son.
“After becoming widowed, many people wanted to come into my life. My family also gave their consent. But I immersed myself completely in my child,” she said.

Currently, her son has completed his engineering studies at a world-renowned university in Canada. The actress said his success now brings her the greatest peace in life.

“My child has shown me the light and direction to move forward in life. I want to spend the rest of my life surrounded by my child’s love,” she said.
Chief guest Abul Hayat expressed his admiration for the initiative, saying, “It truly feels wonderful to be able to present honours to mothers through a programme like this.”

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Chief organiser Ovi Moinuddin said, “Before we knew it, the award ceremony has now been completed for the fifth time. My only wish is that even if I am no longer around one day, this award continues for generations to come.”