He was recognised for his stellar performance in BBC Three drama Murdered By My Father, which featured Akhtar as a young man who kills his daughter in the name of honour killing after she is 'promised' to a man but falls in love with someone else.
At first the significance of his Bafta win was noted by the drama's screenwriter as he took to Twitter,.
Vinay Patel tweeted: "First non-white fella to win a #Bafta TV award for best actor? This guy. (Not me, obvs)."
Other successful projects that Akhtar has under his belt include his role as Muslim extremist Faisal in Chris Morris's 2010 film Four Lions. He also featured in Channel 4's sci-fi drama Utopia and Sky's comedy drama Trollied. He also starred in Apple Tree Yard and The Night Manager.
Murdered By My Father star Adeel Akhtar on diversity in British TV - he says though it has come far, but there is still a long way to go.