Zahid Hasan at 60: ‘I want the rest of my life to be useful to people’

Popular actor Zahid Hasan turned 60 on October 4, marking the milestone with reflections on his career, family, past mistakes and his desire to make the rest of his life meaningful to others.

For Zahid, the number itself feels somewhat difficult to believe. Although he has spent decades entertaining audiences on stage, television and film, he says his position within his family has remained unchanged.

“Many may see me as an elder, but I am still the youngest in my family, so I have remained the youngest to everyone throughout my life. It does not really sink in that I have grown this old,” he said.

Reaching 60 has also prompted the actor to look back at his life with greater honesty. Zahid acknowledged that he has made mistakes and expressed regret if his actions have hurt anyone.

“I have made many mistakes in life. People make mistakes, that is natural. I am human too. I am sorry for the mistakes of the past or if I have hurt anyone. I hope I can do something for people for the rest of my life. I want my life to be useful to others,” he said.

Zahid said he has never been concerned solely with his own wellbeing and has always wanted to see the people around him doing well.

“I have always wanted to be well with everyone. That effort is even stronger now. I feel that if we think about moving forward together, the country will also develop,” he said.

The actor is also a father of two. His elder daughter is studying business management at a university in London, while his son has completed his A Levels and is expected to leave the country soon for higher education.

Living away from his daughter has been emotional for Zahid. He said he often misses her, particularly when she calls and says she misses her father, the food at home and the rest of the family. At times, thinking about his daughter brings him to tears.

Known for his emotional nature, Zahid said he can become tearful even when hearing something positive, while seeing someone in pain affects him even more deeply.

His journey to becoming a familiar face in Bangladeshi entertainment began far from the comforts of success. Zahid came to Dhaka from Sirajganj with dreams of becoming an actor and initially worked in theatre, where he had to take on various tasks, including cleaning the group's room.

His early years in Dhaka were spent in a mess, where he lived with several others. He recalled one birthday in 1989 when he was sweeping the room at a mess in Dhanmondi. With several people sharing one room, the residents often had to cook for themselves when the food prepared by the household help was not suitable.

That birthday brought an unexpected message of encouragement. After hearing that it was Zahid's birthday, the father of one of his roommates, who was a lawyer, told him not to be sad and predicted that a day would come when people across the country would celebrate his birthday.

As Zahid's popularity grew through his work in radio, television and newspapers, he remembered those words.

Looking back at his years in the mess, Zahid believes those struggles taught him valuable lessons about compromise and sharing. He recalled how residents would use each other's soap and shampoo if they were left in the bathroom, something he never objected to.

For Zahid, those experiences remain part of the journey that brought him to where he is today.

“There is a kind of peace in hardship, but there is also unrest in hardship. Nothing in life comes easily. That is why the happiness that comes after hardship feels different,” he said.