Popular rock band Warfaze on Thursday made history as the first band to receive the country’s second-highest civilian honour, as Prime Minister Tarique Rahman conferred the Ekushey Padak 2026 on nine eminent individuals and one renowned institution for their outstanding contributions to national life.
The award-giving ceremony was held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on Thursday afternoon. The programme began with the rendition of the national anthem and recitations from the holy scriptures.
This year’s Ekushey Padak recipients are Farida Akhter Bobita (Film), Professor Md Abdus Sattar (Fine Arts), Marina Tabassum (Architecture), Ayub Bachchu (Music), Warfaze (Band Music), Arthi Ahmed (Dance), Islam Uddin Palakar (Theatre), Shafik Rehman (Journalism), Professor Dr Mahbubul Alam Majumdar (Education), and Tejas Halder Jash (Sculpture).
Warfaze, the popular Bangladeshi heavy metal band that has been enchanting fans since 1984, receiving the Ekushey Padak in music, marks a significant institutional recognition of band music within the country’s cultural framework. The honour underscores the growing acknowledgement of contemporary musical expressions alongside traditional and classical forms.
The medal was received on behalf of the band by Warfaze’s bandleader and drummer Sheikh Monirul Alam Tipu. After accepting the award, Tipu said they had been thrilled since the announcement of the honour. “Today, in the presence of distinguished guests and fellow awardees, the medal was formally handed over. The Honourable Prime Minister placed it in our hands, and with the formal acceptance of the medal, we feel a sense of complete fulfilment. All members of our band were present at the ceremony. Everyone is overjoyed. Honestly, it’s hard to put this feeling into words.”
At the time, Tipu also noted that former members of Warfaze had returned to the country to witness the historic moment of the band receiving the Ekushey Padak. “Babna Karim, Sanjay Kamran Rahman, Masuk Rahman and Oni Hasan came from abroad. They were also present at the ceremony,” he said.
Fans, as well as other bands and artists, are showering the band with tributes and love on social media, acknowledging the recognition as ‘well-deserved.’
Warfaze’s founding member, guitarist Ibrahim Ahmed Kamal, shared on Facebook that the band members returned home in rickshaws together from the ceremony venue.
The event was presided over by Cultural Affairs Adviser Nitai Roy Chowdhury. State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam addressed the gathering as a special guest, while Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Mofidur Rahman delivered the welcome speech.
Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani read out the names of the awardees and highlighted their respective contributions before conducting the medal presentation segment.
Members of the cabinet, lawmakers, diplomats stationed in Dhaka, senior military and civil officials, and distinguished guests attended the ceremony.
Introduced in 1976, the Ekushey Padak is awarded annually in recognition of notable contributions in fields such as language and literature, education, research, arts, journalism, social service and culture. This year’s inclusion of a band in the music category marks a milestone in the evolution of state recognition for popular music in Bangladesh.
