Babita is an internationally renowned film actress who has received critical acclaim for portraying women faced with the hardships, oppression and social injustice prevalent in third world countries. She is best known for her performance in Satyajit Ray’s Distant Thunder, a novel adaptation about the Bengal famine of 1943, which won the Golden Bear prize at the 1973 Berlin Film Festival.

Throughout her career, she has garnered numerous prestigious awards. Foremost among these are:

• National Film Award, Bangladesh (1975, 1976, 1977, 1985, 2002)
• Bangladesh Cine Journalists Association Award (1974, 1977, 1980, 1985)
• Bengal Film Journalists Association Award, India (1993)
• National Film Award, Pakistan
• Dhallywood Music & Film Lifetime Achievement Award (2002, 2009)

Art films and awards aside, her prolific career includes performances in over two hundred films. Her prominence on the silver screen has made her a household name and a popular cultural icon in Bangladesh. Babita has used this popularity to bring attention to the efforts of philanthropic organizations, and has been a staunch supporter of the Acid Survivor’s foundation and the Children Leukemia Assistance and Support Services. Now she hopes to bring the issue of child rights to the public eye by lending her voice to Distressed Children & Infants International. She has pledged to support the DCI vision through campaigns and publicity. From now on, she will attend DCI events and functions whenever possible and represent the organization as a Goodwill Ambassador spokesperson nationally and internationally.

Babita will be attending DCI’s 3rd Conference on Child Rights and Sight on Sept 10, 2011 at Yale University, where she will deliver a keynote address. Following the conference, she will visit several US states and Canada to campaign for child rights and sight.

Please join us to assist in the fight against poverty, child labor, and preventable blindness in Bangladesh and around the world, by attending the 2011 Conference and following our work.