Bangladesh Selects Leesa Gazi's 'Barir Naam Shahana' (A House Named Shahana) as Official Entry for the 98th Academy Awards

DHAKA, BANGLADESH – September 27, 2025 - The Oscar Bangladesh Committee, operating under the supervision of the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies (BFFS), today announced the selection of the feature film 'Barir Naam Shahana' (A House Named Shahana) as the country's official submission for the International Feature Film category (formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film) of the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars). 

The announcement was made at a press conference held this morning, September 27, 2025, at 10:30 AM at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka. Dr. Mohammad Zahirul Islam, Chairperson of the Oscar Bangladesh Committee, formally declared the decision made by the Juror Board at the event. Committee members, representatives from the submitted films, journalists, and film industry professionals were present.

A total of five films were submitted for consideration by the deadline of September 16, 2025 with eligibility period being from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. The films were: ‘Saba’ (Director: Maksud Hossain; Production Company: Variete Pictures Ltd.); ‘Barir Naam Shahana’ (Director: Leesa Gazi; Production Company: Kamala Collective and Gupi Bagha Productions Limited); ‘Nokshikathar Jomin’ (Director: Akram Khan; Production Company: Nimogno Films); ‘Priyo Malati’ (Director: Shankha Dasgupta; Production Company: Filmy Feature); ‘Moyna’ (Director: Manjurul Islam Megh; Production Company: Aparajita Entertainment)

The 'Oscar Bangladesh Committee,' chaired by Dr. Mohammad Zahirul Islam, reviewed and deliberated on the submitted films following screenings on September 24 and 25, ultimately selecting ‘Barir Naam Shahana’ to represent Bangladesh on the global cinematic stage at the 98th Academy Awards.

The film, directed by Leesa Gazi and produced by Arifur Rahman, was unanimously nominated by the selection committee following a thorough analysis of all five submitted movies. 

The entire film community extends its best wishes to the cast, crew, producers, and director of 'Barir Naam Shahana' as it moves forward in the competition.

Thanking you,

Abdullah Al Maruf

Coordinator, 

Oscar Bangladesh Committee

Email: info.bffs@gmail.com