Warfaze rocks its way to Ekushey Padak glory

Warfaze, a popular Bangladeshi band, is among the ten eminent citizens chosen for the Ekushey Padak this year.

They shared a post on Facebook, writing: "Just minutes before taking the stage at Mirpur Stadium for the Odommo Bangladesh T-20 Cup 2026 opening, we learned we had been awarded the nation's second-highest civilian honour – the Ekushey Padak. We were overwhelmed with emotion as everyone hugged each other in realisation of the achievement, as Warfaze is the first Bengali band to have received this award."

The band went on to say, "Warfaze is eternally grateful to everyone who has supported the band in any direct or indirect way, including all ex-members and all our families and friends, as we could not have achieved this without their love and support. This is not just a milestone for us, but also for the entire Bengali Band Music community and industry. We are proud to have represented all of you for this historical award. Thank you to everyone who loves our music. Thank you for making us worthy of this glory."

The government has announced the recipients of the Ekushey Padak 2026, recognising their outstanding contributions across arts, culture, education, and journalism.

The Advisory Council approved the list at a meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Yunus today (5 February).

This year's other awardees include Farida Akhtar Bobita in film, Prof Md Abdus Sattar in fine arts, Marina Tabassum in architecture, Ayub Bachchu in music, Arthy Ahmed in dance, Islam Uddin Palakar in theatre, Shafik Rehman in journalism, Prof Dr Mahbubul Alam Majumdar in education, and Tejos Halder Josh in sculpture.

The Ekushey Padak, one of the nation's highest civilian honours, is awarded annually to individuals who have made significant contributions to Bangladesh's cultural, social, and educational development.