Notice

Call for Papers

The Language Movement is a watershed moment in the history of Bangladesh. It was a movement for the recognition of Bangla as one of the two state languages of Pakistan. Ultimately, it led to the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation. The Language Movement was, inevitably, also a movement for social justice and equality, one that would inspire other subsequent movements for language rights and social justice around the world.

The Center for Advanced Research in Arts and Social Sciences (CARASS), University of Dhaka, is going to organize an international conference titled The Language Movement and the Emergence of a Bangla-Speaking State. The conference will explore the legacy of the Language Movement and its impact on Bangali nationalism, pluralism in the nation-state, and global identity formation, as well as our culture, literature, economics, politics, science, technology, and society. It will also examine the role of the language movement in the development of Bangladesh as a nation-state and its plac in the world.

We invite scholars, researchers, and policymakers from around the world to submit papers for this important conference. Your participation will help us in our understanding of the Language Movement and its impact on Bangla-speaking people and the wider world.

In particular, the conference will explore the following themes:

• Historical Roots of Bangladesh
• The historical context of the Language Movement and its impact on the formation of Bangali nationalism
• The role of culture, literature, science and technology in the Language Movement and development of Bangali identity
• The socio-economic aspects of the Language Movement and the emergence of Bangladesh as a developing country
• The role of non-state stakeholders, such as student organizations, political parties, and civil society groups, in the Language Movement and the Bangladesh Liberation War
• Depiction of language movement in the films and media of Bangladesh
• The gender dimensions of the Language Movement and the participation of women
• The implications of the Language Movement for other ethnicities and its place in a multilingual nation
• The links between Bangla language and nation-building in global diaspora
• Politics and Poetics of International Mother Language Day
• Language Movements across the globe

Abstract Submission:

Abstracts are due by January 31, 2024. They can be submitted either in Bangla or English and should be no more than 250 words long. They should clearly state the scope of the paper and the methodology adopted, and they should also gesture at the findings of the paper.

Please submit abstracts to: carass@du.ac.bd and/or the CARASS office, CARASS Bhaban, University of Dhaka. In the subject line, please write LMEBConference_Abstract_[YOUR LAST NAME].

The author must follow APA style.

Important Dates:

Abstract submission deadline: January 31, 2024

Notification of acceptance: February 15, 2024

Full paper submission: March 15, 2024

Conference dates: April 29-30, 2024

Registration fee:

For Students: 500BDT

For Staffs of University of Dhaka: 1000BDT

For Others: 2000BDT  (Bangladeshi) $50 (Foreigners)

Last Day of Registration: April 25, 2024

Registration fee can be paid in cash or by check at CARASS Room 302, CARASS Building, TSC Compound, University of Dhaka

Bank Details:

Bank Name: Janata Bank PLC

Branch Name: Dhaka University Campus Corp. Branch

Account Name: DIRECTOR, CARASS

Account Number: 0100018598919

Routing Number: 135271759

Contact Information:

For more information, please contact the conference organizers at CARASS office, CARASS Bhaban, University of Dhaka or e-mail: carass@du.ac.bd;  Contact person: Kazi Sameeo Sheesh, Senior Research Fellow, CARASS, University of Dhaka (WhatsApp: +8801711934929)