The humane side of Nawshaba

Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed

Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed is a well-known TV and film actress and voice artiste. This is a busy time for her, with a huge amount of work as Eid looms around the corner. She recently spoke to The Daily Star about how she observes the holy month of Ramadan:

Do you enjoy going out for Iftar or Sehri?

Nawshaba:  I don't really go out a lot at these times, as I have to take care of my baby. Also I have a few kids staying at my place, so I mostly have my Iftar with them. Other than that, during shoots I get the opportunity to have iftar with my co-workers; that is the only iftar I get to have outside home.

Who are the kids staying over at your place?

Nawshaba: For me they are kids, but actually they are not kids anymore (laughs).  They have been staying with me for almost 10 years. They came here to Dhaka from different parts of the country; I would not say I have sponsored them but I took the opportunity to provide them a shelter so that they could work or study in peace.

Do you like to give gifts for Eid?

Nawshaba: Before my marriage, Eid shopping used to be all about my needs and necessities, but now I feel Eid is more about my family's Eid. I try to make sure everyone gets similar gifts. It's not always possible because some of them are 18 years old, while some are 22 or even 24. So gifts might vary but I try to distribute them equally. 

You come off as a socially-conscious person. Are you affiliated with any organisation?

Nawshaba: I am affiliated to a school named Paribartan located in Hemayatpur and few schools in Dinajpur. In these schools, me and my friends buy trees and go there to plant them. Sometimes we invite a doctor to talk to the students about sanitation, first aid and give them basic heath tips. Plus, I have recently started working with Jaago Foundation as a sponsor, and through the personal initiative of me and a friend, a documentary was made for the foundation about the importance and appeal of sponsoring a less-fortunate child's education. In a way, I am giving myself a chance to work on a larger platform for the underprivileged.

What's in the pipeline on the work front?

Nawshaba: have recently finished the shoot of a film “Bhubon Majhi”. Another film “Chondraboti” will be finished by next month. I am looking forward to those projects. I have also worked in Eid special tele-films “Mirar Baranda” and “Kachakachi”.