Banasree, who made her debut opposite Elias Kanchan in the 1994 film ‘Sohrab Rustom’, passed away today while undergoing treatment at the Shibchar Upazila Health Complex in Madaripur. She was 49.
The news was confirmed by Soni Rahman, executive member of the Film Artists’ Association, who said the actress had been suffering from multiple ailments.
“I learned from Banasree’s elder brother that she had been hospitalised for the past five days. She was battling several health issues, including heart disease and kidney complications. She endured a lot before passing away. She leaves behind one child,” Soni Rahman said.
Banasree will be laid to rest at the Shibchar Municipal Cemetery.
Born in Sikdarkandi village of Char Union, Shibchar, Banasree was the eldest of three children of Mujibur Rahman Majnu Sikder and Saburjan Rina. At the age of seven, she moved with her family to Dhaka, where her journey into cinema began.
Following her breakout success in Sohrab Rustom, Banasree went on to appear in over a dozen films, acting opposite stars such as Manna, Amin Khan and Rubel. For a brief period, her career shone as brightly as the silver screen.
But her fortunes changed dramatically in the late 1990s, when she was expelled from the film industry. Over time, she lost her wealth and status, eventually moving into a Dhaka slum.
In one of the most painful chapters of her life, her daughter Srabanti was kidnapped and financial hardship later forced her to place her young son in an organisation for underprivileged children.
After years of struggle in the city, Banasree returned to her native Shibchar Upazila. She lived in various places before settling in a government-built home under the Ashrayan Project, where she resided with her son Mehedi Hasan Romeo.
Her family survived on the interest of a Tk 20 lakh grant she once received from a former prime minister.
Banasree’s life, once glittering with stardom, ended in hardship but her brief career left a mark on Bangladeshi cinema.
