Cooking Star Foundation’s Pitha Making Competition – Pitha Utshab Season 02 Held in Dhaka
Cooking Star Foundation recently organised Pitha Making Competition – Pitha Utshab Season 02 in the capital with the slogan of spreading the taste of Bengali pitha worldwide.
Around 200 pitha enthusiasts from different parts of the country registered for the competition, from which 20 contestants were selected to participate in the final round. The participants showcased their creativity and skills in various categories, including regional pitha, ethnographic pitha, fusion pitha, foreign pitha, wedding pitha, and festival pitha.
The chief guest of the event was Mizanur Rahman, Chairman and Managing Director of ICB Islamic Bank. Special guests included Boishakhi Television Head of News Ziaul Kabir Suman, Dhaka Post Editor Md Kamrul Islam, prominent businessman Imran Hasan, Director Riyadh Rahman, and many other distinguished personalities.
Nusrat Rumu won first place for her outstanding presentation of pitha. As part of her award, she will receive international-standard training worth Tk 1.80 lakh along with a certificate, courtesy of The Academy of Culinary and Hospitality Management (ACHM). Laila Zaman secured second place and received a 75 percent scholarship, while Taslima finished third and was awarded a 65 percent scholarship. In addition, all participating entrepreneurs received special honours from the event’s banking partner, ICB Islamic Bank’s Women Banking and Investment Project Pratiti.
The winners were awarded by ICB Islamic Bank Chairman and Managing Director Mizanur Rahman and other dignitaries. Attractive prizes and certificates were also presented to all participants, and the winners will have the opportunity to publish their own recipes.
A special honour was presented by US-Bangla Airlines to Maryam Begum, a talented woman from Chandpur known for her work with Bengali cuisine and pitha. Dhaka Post Editor Md Kamrul Islam and US-Bangla Airlines General Manager were honoured for their contribution to tourism, while Chef Zaheda Begum received recognition for her contribution to the culinary arts. Boishakhi Television Head of News Ziaul Kabir Suman was honoured for journalism, along with businessman Imran Hasan, advertising director Riyadh Rahman, and newcomer model Sifat Shabnam for their respective contributions. Members and well-wishers of Cooking Star Foundation were also recognised at the event.
The judges of the competition included NHTTI Division Head Chef Zaheda Begum, Chef Meherun Akhter Meri, Nazia Farhana, Rabbe Arfina Korban—Chairperson of Udyogda Unnayan Sangstha (UDDOGI)—and last year’s winner Chef Mukti Khandaker.
The event was supported by Dona Media and AF Kitchen, Ashvin, The MS Card, with DMore Dhaka Hotel & Resort serving as the hospitality partner.
Speaking on the occasion, Cooking Star Foundation General Secretary Farida Akhter Asha said the organisation is delighted to have successfully arranged the Pitha Festival for the second time and is committed to promoting and preserving Bangladesh’s traditional food and beverages.