Trine student honored for acting, activism

DETROIT — Shake Tanvir Ahmed, a student in Trine University’s Master of Science in business analytics degree program, recently received several honors for his activism on behalf of the Rohingya people.

He received the Dr. Wakar Uddin Award 2023 after performing solo as a mime in New York City’s Times Square as part of a three-day event organized by the Arakan Rohingya Union (ARU) and Burmese Rohingya Association of North America (BRANA).

On Oct. 14, he was presented the George K. Campbell Scholarship at Glen Terrace Caterers in Brooklyn, New York.

He received the Best Actor award from Shilpangon Theatre Festival 2023 for his performance in “Oedipus Rex” at Levittown Hall in Long Island, New York, on Sept. 24.

A representative of Blackflame Theatre, the theatre company Tanvir founded, accepted the Japan-Bangla Peace Award-2023 for creative acting on his behalf in a ceremony held Aug. 6, “Hiroshima Day-2023,” at the Liberation Memorial Auditorium of the Institute of Diploma Engineers Building (IDEB) in Bangladesh.

“I felt honored to receive these special awards,” Tanvir said. “It will inspire me to do better. I want to make the world a better place, and these awards encourage me to do so.” 

Tanvir currently resides in New York and studies at Trine University’s Detroit education center. He said he was drawn to the United States by the diversity and innovation of its theatre scene.

He also wants to work in business while maintaining a successful acting career. The quality of the education at Trine attracted him to the university.

In addition to founding the Blackflame Theatre in Bangladesh, Tanvir has performed with other theatre groups in that nation. He also has worked in TV and movies.

Tanvir has participated in events held in the United Kingdom, Canada, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, China and India, as well as the United States.