Shuchanda, Babita and Champa: Iconic sisters vote together

Voters crowded polling stations across Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh on Thursday as the 13th national parliamentary election unfolded, and among them were some of the country’s most celebrated film actresses.

At the Gulshan Model High School centre, Dhallywood’s famed trio—Kohinoor Akhter Shuchanda, Farida Akhtar Babita, and Champa—arrived together to cast their votes, stepping out of their car smiling and posing briefly for photographers. 

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Suchanda, Babita, and Champa, who are sisters and long regarded as icons of Bangladeshi cinema spanning several decades, added a surge of excitement to the polling centre atmosphere.

After voting, the actresses spoke briefly to members of the press, expressing optimism about the nation’s future. In a recent interview ahead of the election, Babita articulated hopes for peace and good governance under the new government. “I want this country to move forward beautifully,” she said. “We want our people to live in peace and see a corruption-free environment. I hope artists can create freely and safely.”