Inspiration of Struggle, Culture, and Sports: Babul Ahmed Rubel

From an early age, Babul Ahmed Rubel dreamed of becoming an actor. To turn that dream into reality, he had to walk a long road filled with struggle, perseverance, and relentless hard work. What began as a passion for acting gradually shaped him into a successful actor, martial artist, and trainer.

As part of his preparation to become an actor, he learned karate from the popular film star Masum Parvez Rubel. At the same time, he became involved in theatre. With the renowned theatre group Nabanat of Dhaka, he regularly rehearsed at the Curzon Hall premises of Dhaka University, preparing himself for stage performances. Earlier, during his childhood in Shayestaganj, Habiganj, he was associated with Desh Natya Goshthi and performed in many stage plays.

To develop himself as a versatile performer, Rubel learned dance from Mona Siddik Hridoy, music from Bakul Khandaker (elder brother of lyricist Milton Khandaker), and magic from the all-rounder actor Johnny Chaplin.

Active in theatre since childhood, Rubel has acted in more than a hundred stage plays. Some of his notable productions include Jat Chor, Sonar Char, Putul Biye, Ma, and the hugely popular Bangladeshi comedy play Bhelki, in which he performed more than 60 shows across different districts of the country. He was also a regular performer in street theatre.

Rubel has also built a strong presence in television. He has acted in over a hundred TV dramas, which have been broadcast on almost all television channels in Bangladesh. In addition, he has acted in 11 Bangla films, including government grant–supported movies. A short film titled Neshakhor, produced under the supervision of the Bangladesh Film and Television Institute, was screened in 17 countries. He also acted as the character “Little Imran” in an English short movie titled One Million Dollar.

Alongside acting, Rubel emerged as a skilled martial artist and trainer. He has received honors multiple times as both a player and a coach in national karate championships. Since 2010, he has been regularly training in Chinese martial art Wushu.

Later, he established several martial art academies in different districts, including Habiganj, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Sirajganj, and Chandpur. Players trained under his guidance have participated in national and international competitions. Notably, several athletes from his academies have earned the opportunity to study at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP), which stands as a major recognition of his training quality and expertise.

Many of Rubel’s athletes have also received opportunities to play and work in countries such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Dubai, the United States, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Japan, and France.

Rubel grew up in a family deeply connected to sports and culture. His younger sister was a Wushu athlete, and his younger brother was a martial artist. Their mother always wished that her children would excel in culture and sports alongside their studies. Carrying forward that dream, Rubel is now a devoted martial art trainer.

Currently, he provides martial art training to adolescents in schools under the Department of Women Affairs. He also regularly conducts Wushu training at government-run children’s homes.

The clubs founded by Rubel include Habiganj Projonmo Wushu Sanda Fight Club, Thakurgaon Projonmo Wushu Fight School, Birganj Projonmo Wushu Fight Club, and Faridganj Projonmo Wushu Fight Club. At present, through a total of 11 clubs across four districts, hundreds of athletes are receiving regular training. However, due to a lack of necessary sports equipment and government patronage, further expansion of these activities has been challenging.

Babul Ahmed Rubel’s dream is to establish an international-standard martial art institution in Bangladesh, where boys and girls will learn self-defense techniques and talented athletes will get opportunities to compete both at home and abroad. His ultimate goal is to represent Bangladesh proudly on the global stage.

Everyone is praying for him, hoping that he can overcome all obstacles and achieve his goals successfully.