Shiba Shanu sweeps to BFAA Presidency, Joy Chowdhury takes Secretary post

Actor Shiba Shanu has been elected president of the Bangladesh Film Artistes Association (BFAA) for the 2026–28 term, while actor Joy Chowdhury secured the post of general secretary in the biennial election.

The official results were announced by the election commission around 4:45am on Saturday (July 4) following an overnight vote count.

Voting was held peacefully throughout Friday (July 3) at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) premises. Of the association's 573 registered voters, 480 cast their ballots. The election commission later declared 17 ballots invalid before announcing the final results.

According to the official tally, Shiba Shanu received 243 votes to defeat his nearest rival, actor and fight director Arman, who secured 173 votes in the presidential race.

In the contest for general secretary, Joy Chowdhury won with 237 votes, defeating Rumana Islam Mukti, who garnered 179 votes.

The election featured a straight contest between two full panels—Arman–Mukti Parishad and Shiba Shanu–Joy Chowdhury Parishad—with members vying for key executive positions.

Candidates actively campaigned ahead of the polls through voter outreach, panel introductions and meetings with association members. Ballot counting began after polling ended on Friday evening, with the final results declared early Saturday after several hours of counting.

With the new leadership now in place, members of the film fraternity expect the committee to strengthen artists' welfare programmes, safeguard the rights of performers and play a more effective role in revitalising Bangladesh's film industry.