Kamruzzaman Balark honoured with Australia’s OAM for cultural contribution

Mohammad Kamruzzaman Balark, a prominent theatre personality of the Bangladeshi diaspora in Australia, has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division for his outstanding contribution to the arts and to the Bangladeshi community in Melbourne.
The honour was announced on January 26, Australia Day, as part of the country’s annual national awards recognising exceptional service to society. Balark’s name appeared among 949 distinguished recipients in the 2026 honours list released by the Governor-General’s office, sparking widespread discussion and pride among Bangladeshi expatriates in Sydney, Melbourne and beyond.
A resident of Pakenham, Melbourne, Balark has spent more than three decades nurturing Bangla theatre and cultural practice in the diaspora. In 2000, he founded “Renaissance Drama Society Melbourne,” one of the city’s most active theatre groups. He served as the organisation’s president for two consecutive decades and currently works as its artistic director.
Under his direction, the troupe has staged 16 productions, including “Kanjus,” “In Search of an Honest Man,” “Election Caricature,” “Shakuntala,” “The Mousetrap,” and “Dewan Gazir Kissa”. These productions have earned praise from audiences and critics alike on stages across Sydney and Melbourne.
Balark’s engagement with the arts extends beyond theatre. He is a founding member of the Bangla Sahitya Sangsad in Melbourne and served for seven years as editor of the quarterly literary magazine “Shekor”. In 2023, Renaissance Drama Society staged Rabindranath Tagore’s “Achalayatan” under his initiative, a production that drew strong response from Bangladeshi audiences abroad. He has also demonstrated his acting range as a central performer in the internationally acclaimed documentary “Tritiyo Bhubon”.
Professionally, Balark is an engineer. Originally from Faridganj in Chandpur district, he currently works as a field engineer at TPG Telecom. Reflecting on his journey, he said, “I create for my own peace of mind. If my work brings joy to others or benefits someone in any way, that is my fulfilment. This national recognition will only deepen my motivation.”
Beyond cultural work, Balark has played a significant role in humanitarian initiatives. He is a founding member and current vice-president of the Bangladesh Disaster Relief Fund Melbourne, established in 2006. Through the organisation, he has supported relief efforts ranging from Australia’s bushfires to natural disasters in Bangladesh. In 2019, the Victoria Bangladesh Association honoured him as Cultural Personality of the Year.
Veteran theatre practitioner Golam Mostafa from Sydney welcomed the recognition, calling it a proud moment for Bangladeshi theatre in Australia. “This is a rare acknowledgement of our theatre practice in the Australian mainstream,” he said. “Balark has not only produced plays but also built a strong bridge among theatre workers in Sydney and Melbourne.”

Playwright Zahid Repon of Bangladesh’s theatre group Swapnadal, who directed “Achalayatan” in Melbourne at the invitation of Renaissance Drama Society in 2023, echoed the sentiment. “Balark’s national honour proves that even far from one’s roots, dedication, intellect and hard work can establish one’s culture and heritage with dignity on foreign soil,” he said.