Bangladesh has nominated the film Barir Naam Shahana, directed by Leesa Gazi, for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards, scheduled to be held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
With this selection, Leesa Gazi becomes the first Bangladeshi woman filmmaker to represent the country in this prestigious category.
The film has already earned international recognition, having won the Gender Sensitivity Award at the Mumbai Film Festival in 2023.
The announcement was made on Saturday during a “Meet the Press” programme organised by the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka. A six-member jury selected Barir Naam Shahana from a shortlist of five Bangladeshi films.
Other films considered for nomination included Mayna (Monjurul Islam Megh), Priyo Maloti (Shankha Dasgupta), Saba (Maksud Hossain), and Nakshi Kanthar Zamin (Akram Hossain Khan).
The jury panel featured Federation president Mohammad Zahirul Islam, film critic Sajjad Sharif, cinematographer Rashed Zaman, filmmaker Shaheen Dill-Riaz, producer-representative Shahreen Akter Sumi, and Dhaka University academic SM Imran Hossain.
Barir Naam Shahana portrays the life of a woman growing up in rural Bangladesh during the 1990s within a conservative social environment. The lead role is played by Aanon Siddiqua, alongside performances from Lutfur Rahman George, Iresh Zaker, Kazi Ruma, Naila Azad, and Jayanto Chattopadhyay.
The film’s selection is being seen as a landmark moment for Bangladeshi cinema, particularly highlighting the growing role of women filmmakers on the global stage.