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Bilkis Bano Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1938

Age82 (as of 2020)

BirthplaceHapur, Uttar Pradesh

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

FamilyLives with daughters-in-law and grandchildren; husband died in 2009

Bilkis Bano Biography

Bilkis Bano, widely known as Bilkis Dadi or Dabang Dadi, is an Indian activist from Hapur, Uttar Pradesh who became a prominent face of the Shaheen Baghpro

Early life and background

Bilkis Bano was born in 1938 and hails from Hapur in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. She is an Indian national and practices Islam. Known familiarly as Bilkis Dadi and Dabang Dadi, she lived with her daughters-in-law and grandchildren in Shaheen Bagh following the death of her husband in 2009.

Career

Bilkis Bano rose to public attention through her participation in the anti-CAA-NRC demonstrations at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi. She was part of a group of elderly women protesters who came to be known as the Shaheen Bagh Dadis. The group attracted nationwide attention for its sustained, largely peaceful sit-in protests opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens.

Bilkis became a regular presence at the Shaheen Bagh protests, often spending long hours at the site. According to accounts from the movement, she at times remained at the protest from morning until late at night, joining other demonstrators in maintaining the encampment. The Shaheen Bagh protest site was vacated by police on 24 March 2020 in response to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, bringing that phase of the sit-in to an end.

Public profile

Bilkis's participation in the protests led to wider recognition in India and abroad. In September 2020 she was included on Time magazine's list of "The 100 Most Influential People of 2020," a distinction that highlighted her role as a symbol of grassroots resistance and helped amplify the visibility of the Shaheen Bagh movement. Observers and commentators noted that her presence, alongside other elderly women protesters, inspired similar peaceful demonstrations and became an emblem of intergenerational civic engagement.

Speaking after the Time recognition, Bilkis expressed happiness at being honored, describing the moment as unexpected but gratifying. Media coverage and profiles of the Shaheen Bagh Dadis often emphasized the contrast between their everyday identities and the public leadership they displayed during the protests.

Latest updates

The Shaheen Bagh sit-in concluded in March 2020 when the area was cleared by authorities amid public health concerns. Bilkis's inclusion in international media lists later that year marked the peak of her global profile. As of 2020 she was 82 years old and residing in Shaheen Bagh with family members.

Public image and legacy

Bilkis Bano is chiefly known for her visible, sustained participation in the Shaheen Bagh demonstrations and for the symbolic role she occupied as one of the movement's elderly women leaders. The recognition by an international publication brought attention to the ways in which ordinary citizens, including older women, can shape public protest movements and national conversations about law and citizenship.

Her story is often told alongside other Shaheen Bagh participants, underscoring collective action rather than individual leadership. Bilkis remains associated with the dignity and persistence of those protests, and her experience continues to be cited in discussions about grassroots activism in contemporary India.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Bilkis Bano, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Shaheen Bagh protests (participant)

Active participant and prominent face of the Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA-NRC sit-in until the area was vacated in March 2020.

2019–2020
Time 100 recognition

Named among Time magazine's 'The 100 Most Influential People of 2020'.

2020
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Career Highlights

  1. Prominent participant in the Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA-NRC sit-in
  2. Named to Time magazine's 'The 100 Most Influential People of 2020'
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Bilkis Bano born?

1938

What is Bilkis Bano’s marital status?

Married