History has a way of correcting its silences. More than five decades after Bangladeshi actress Babita stood at the centre of a Satyajit Ray classic that stunned the world, the nation has finally returned the applause.
Babita, the luminous heroine of Ashani Sanket, has been nominated for the Ekushey Padak, Bangladesh’s second-highest civilian honour, marking a deeply symbolic moment in the country’s cultural history.
The announcement was made on Thursday afternoon at the Foreign Service Academy auditorium, where the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, revealed the list of Ekushey Padak nominees.
Among scholars, artists and cultural icons, Babita’s name stood out not just as an awardee but as a reminder of a cinematic era when Bangladeshi talent quietly conquered the world stage.
In 1973, Ashani Sanket, directed by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray and based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s unfinished novel, won the Golden Bear at the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival.
It was a historic moment for South Asian cinema. At the heart of that film was Babita, whose restrained yet haunting performance introduced her to international audiences and placed Bangladesh firmly on the global cultural map.
For many, that moment alone made her an inevitable future recipient of the Ekushey Padak. Yet the honour took decades to arrive.
“It’s heartening to hear this. However, I haven’t yet received any official notification or letter regarding the Ekushey Padak. I believe it’d be more appropriate to share my feelings after formally receiving the official letter,” an apparently happy Babita told Jago News.
Babita’s career, however, never paused for recognition. From the early days of her debut as a child artist in Zahir Raihan’s Sangsar in 1968, when she was known as Farida Akhter Poppy, her rise was swift and unstoppable. It was Zahir Raihan who later gave her the screen name “Babita”, a name that would go on to dominate cinema halls, posters and public imagination for generations.
Over the years, Babita acted in more than 350 films, an extraordinary body of work that few in Bangladeshi cinema can match. Her versatility allowed her to move effortlessly between art films and mainstream hits, between vulnerability and strength, silence and fire.
Films like Golapi Ekhan Traine, Golapi Ekhan Dhakaay, Nayanmani, Ek Mutho Bhat, Dipu Number Two, Madam Phuli, Hashon Raja and Char Sateener Ghar cemented her place as both a popular star and a serious performer.
Recognition did come, repeatedly. After the National Film Awards were introduced in 1975, Babita won Best Actress three times. She later received the Best Producer award in 1996 and Best Supporting Actress honours in 2002 and 2011. In 2016, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Film Awards. Yet despite this long list of accolades, many felt a crucial national acknowledgement was missing.
Today’s Ekushey Padak nomination feels less like a routine announcement and more like a moment of cultural closure. It is an acknowledgement not just of Babita the actress, but of an era when Bangladeshi cinema carried moral depth, artistic courage and international ambition.
Now based in Canada, Babita divides her time between family life and occasional visits to Bangladesh. According to family sources, her son Anik has been living and working in Canada for several years and wishes his mother to stay close to him. Distance, however, has never weakened Babita’s emotional bond with her homeland or her audience. Her films continue to be revisited, studied and remembered.
With the Ekushey Padak nomination, Babita’s journey comes full circle. From a young girl stepping into the cinema under Zahir Raihan’s guidance, to a Satyajit Ray heroine applauded in Berlin, and finally to a national icon honoured at home, her story is one of patience, resilience and quiet greatness.
Sometimes, history delays its tribute. But when it arrives, it carries the weight of everything that came before.