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Bengali Language & Literature

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lightbulbAbout this topic
Bengali Language & Literature encompasses the study of the Bengali language, its grammar, phonetics, and syntax, alongside the exploration of its literary works, including poetry, prose, and drama, produced by Bengali authors. This field examines historical, cultural, and social contexts influencing the evolution and expression of Bengali literary traditions.
lightbulbAbout this topic
Bengali Language & Literature encompasses the study of the Bengali language, its grammar, phonetics, and syntax, alongside the exploration of its literary works, including poetry, prose, and drama, produced by Bengali authors. This field examines historical, cultural, and social contexts influencing the evolution and expression of Bengali literary traditions.

Key research themes

1. How have colonial and postcolonial contexts shaped feminist discourse and women’s agency in Bengali literature?

This theme investigates the critical engagements of Bengali women writers during the colonial period and their complex negotiations of patriarchy, nationalism, and cultural traditions. It focuses on how women’s autobiographies, non-fiction, and literary works challenged dominant gender ideologies, interrogated Hindu domesticity, and sought alternative imaginaries of feminist politics within restrictive socio-religious structures. The studies emphasize the significance of recalibrating feminist discourse beyond Eurocentric frames to account for the double colonization faced by Indian women and the intersections of class, caste, gender, and religion.

Key finding: Rasasundari Devi’s 1876 autobiography, among other writings by colonial Bengali women, subverted dominant patriarchal narratives by articulating women’s agency within Hindu tradition, demonstrating an early refusal of... Read more
Key finding: Through autobiographical analysis of Pramatha Chaudhuri and Jnanadanandini Devi, this dissertation reveals how selfhood was constructed amid colonial crises and social relationality, highlighting the dialogical and negotiated... Read more
Key finding: Mahasweta Devi’s oeuvre exemplifies a praxis-oriented literary activism that defends marginalized humanity by challenging oppressive caste, gender, and colonial structures in Bengal, offering subversive retellings and radical... Read more

2. What are the unique linguistic processes and influences underpinning Bengali language development and literature?

This theme explores the morphological processes in Bengali word formation, the historical and ongoing impact of Persian on Bengali language and literature, and the socio-linguistic hierarchies emerging from colonial and postcolonial educational reforms. It focuses on how compounding strategies shape lexical richness, how Persian vocabulary and literary paradigms were assimilated during Sultanate and Mughal periods, and how language standardization and colonial educational policies reconstructed linguistic hierarchies affecting community identities.

Key finding: A systematic linguistic analysis reveals that Bengali employs versatile compounding strategies—combining nouns, adjectives, and verbs—with specific syntactic and semantic rules such as headedness, showing morphophonemic... Read more
Key finding: Through historical and linguistic investigation, this study documents the profound influence of Persian during the Sultanate and Mughal eras on Bengali vocabulary, literary styles, and cultural exchanges. It highlights... Read more
Key finding: The imposition of English and the codification of sadhu-bhasha (standardized Sanskritized Bengali) during colonial Bengal institutionalized new linguistic hierarchies that marginalized Bengali-speaking Muslim communities.... Read more

3. How do spatial, cultural, and historical memories mediate Bengali identity and literary culture?

This theme centers on the role of place, collective memory, and cultural heritage in shaping Bengali literary and social identities, particularly through spaces like Beauty Boarding in Dhaka and the regional architectural expressions in Bengal’s Sultanate era. It considers how historical traumas, political legitimization, performance practices, and folklore intertwine to produce dynamic narratives of belonging and cultural resistance in Bengali literature and society.

Key finding: This paper demonstrates how Beauty Boarding functions as a cultural locus imbued with collective memory, intertwining literary modernism, colonial and liberation war histories, and consumer culture to mediate Dhaka’s Bengali... Read more
Key finding: Analyzing Sultanate mosque architecture, this study reveals a deliberate synthesis of Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist elements forming a distinct ‘Bengali’ regional identity used as political legitimization. It highlights how... Read more
Key finding: By exploring the worship practices of Bonbibi and Dakshin Rai among Sundarbans communities, this paper uncovers how ecological dangers and ethnic diversity foster a unique syncretic belief system symbolizing communal harmony,... Read more

All papers in Bengali Language & Literature

সাহিত্য সৃজনের সমান্তরালে সাহিত্য-বিচার কম কৃতিত্ব দাবি করে না। বাংলা সাহিত্যে যার উদ্ভাবন উনিশ শতকে নবজাগরণের ফলশ্রুতিতেই। সে-বিচারে আধুনিক বাংলা সাহিত্যের পাঠ্য-উপাদানের সঙ্গেই সে-সব তত্ত্ব বা পদ্ধতির অধিক সঙ্গতি ও সংহতি থাকাই... more
The topic and methodology of the study have been compared to the play "Land and Grain" by Tripti Mitra. In this case, the term "land" alludes to the primary drama's theme and the way the crop—that is, the variety—was generated from that... more
The Indian subcontinent’s fight for independence (1857–1947) witnessed profound social, political, and cultural transformations during which Muslim women encountered a variety of barriers, including patriarchal norms, colonial oppression,... more
কাশীর দু'টি বাঙালি পরিবার মিত্রবাড়ি ও মুখোপাধ্যায় বাড়ির দুর্গাপূজার সংক্ষিপ্ত ইতিহাস ও ঘটনাবলী নিয়ে আলোকপাত করা হয়েছে।
Programming is often introduced in English, creating a significant barrier for learners whose primary language is not English. This is especially true for children and early learners, who may already struggle with abstract concepts like... more
Birth and Formative Years in Sisauli Saleem Quadri's journey began in the verdant fields of Sisauli, a modest village nestled in the Aurai block of Muzaffarpur district, Bihar-a region synonymous with agrarian simplicity and simmering... more
Pyarichand Mitra, a prominent figure in 19thcentury Bengal, played a significant role in influencing educational reform during this period. As a writer and social reformer, Pyarichand Mitra's novels often depicted the contrasts between... more
পশ্চিমবঙ্গের মানচিত্রে এক সময়ে জালের মতো ছড়িয়ে থাকা অগণিত নদ-নদীর মধ্যে ইছামতি একটি অনন্য নাম। এই নামটি শুনলেই মনের পর্দায় ভেসে ওঠে দু’টি দেশের সীমান্তের রোমাঞ্চ, ঐতিহাসিক নৌ-বাণিজ্যের জৌলুস, মিঠে জলের মাছের ভাণ্ডার এবং বঙ্গসংস্কৃতির... more
একটি সমৃদ্ধ জাতি গঠনের মূল ভিত্তি কেবল অর্থনৈতিক উন্নয়ন নয়, বরং নৈতিকভাবে সৎ ও সামাজিকভাবে দায়িত্বশীল নাগরিক তৈরি করা। এই প্রবন্ধে বলা হয়েছে যে “ভালো মানুষ” হওয়া কেবল ব্যক্তিগত অর্জন নয়; এর মধ্যে সততা, মানবিকতা, দায়িত্ববোধ এবং সমাজসেবার... more
The serpent goddess Manasa occupies a unique place in Bengal’s cultural and religious imagination. Emerging from the fears and reverence surrounding snakes, her worship took root among rural communities such as cowherds, farmers, and... more
সাপদেবী মনসা বাংলার সাংস্কৃতিক ও ধর্মীয় কল্পনায় এক বিশেষ স্থান অধিকার করে আছেন। সাপকে ঘিরে মানুষের ভয় এবং শ্রদ্ধা থেকে তাঁর উপাসনা প্রথমে গড়ে ওঠে গ্রামীণ সমাজে—গোপ, কৃষক ও জেলেদের মধ্যে—এরপর ধীরে ধীরে প্রবেশ করে ব্রাহ্মণ্যধর্মীয়... more
The nor'wester of Bengal, commonly known as Kalbaishaki is more than just a regular storm. During the blazing summer months of April and May, when rivers dry up, crops wither and heat waves persist, the Kalbaishaki arrives as a saviour.... more
Bangladeshi young novelist Imran Khan's second Bangla-language novel Besati O Basati (Business and Habitat) has brought to the forefront the ongoing massive environmental degradation across Dhaka city and the adjacent urban sprawl. The... more
Hunting of birds has a long history that represents a wide spectrum of aspects. While the Pakmaras are mainly bird hunters scattered across Bengal, the Kakmaras settled only along the coastal districts of southern Bengal, primarily... more
বর্তমান বাংলাদেশের সাহিত্যচর্চা সম্পূর্ণ ইউরোপীয় রীতি দ্বারা প্রভাবিত। আধুনিকতা কিংবা উত্তরাধুনিকতার দোহাইয়ে বাঙালির নিজস্ব বোধ-বুদ্ধি, ইতিহাস-ঐতিহ্য এতে উপেক্ষিত। এমনকি নব্য উপনিবেশের করণ-কৌশলে বাঙালি স্বতন্ত্র জাতিসত্তার আত্মপরিচয় দৃষ্ট... more
১৪৪১ হিজরি। ২০২০ খ্রিস্টাব্দ। গোটা দুনিয়া মহামারি করোনার আতঙ্কে আড়ষ্ট। পৃথিবী যেন এক মৃত্যুপল্লী। সচেতন সাধারণ মানুষের মাঝে জীবন নিয়ে এক সার্বক্ষণিক শঙ্কা পেয়ে বসেছে আর মৃত্যুচিন্তা যেন প্রবল থেকে প্রবলতর হচ্ছে। পৃথিবীর ইতিহাসে এমন... more
In nineteenth-century Bengal, the language standardization of Bangla to create Sadhubhasha (chaste Bengali) was central to the emergence of a print-based imagined community. Constructed through a deliberate process of infusing Sanskrit... more
India’s linguistic groups vary widely in history and identity. In the Dravidian South, for example, Tamil speakers in Tamil Nadu have a strong language-based identity (classical literature, film industry, Tamil pride) and a history of... more
The history of the Bengali language dates ancient thousands of years. There are still odds among the researchers as to when exactly the Bengali language was introduced. Although Bengali is the fourth most populous language in the world,... more
This research paper aimed to study various types of Turkish loanwords used in the Bengali language during the 21st century. The relationship between Bengali and Turkish, two languages that belong to different language families, has been... more
আসহাবে ফীল হাতিওয়ালাদের কাহিনী ইসলামের ইতিহাসের এক গুরুত্বপূর্ণ অধ্যায়, যা কোরআনে সূরা আল-ফীল-এ বিশদভাবে উল্লেখ আছে। ইবনে আব্বাস (রাদিয়াল্লাহু আনহু) থেকে বর্ণিত, তিনি বলেন: "আসহাবে ফীলদের জন্য ছোট ছোট পাথরসহ পাখি প্রেরণ করা হয়েছিল। যে... more
জাপা কার্যালয়ে দিনের পর দিন হামলা হচ্ছে—কেউ গ্রেফতার হচ্ছে না। প্রশ্ন হলো—এই অবস্থায় কি নির্বাচন সম্ভব? উত্তর সোজা: না! _ মোহাম্মদ শেখ কামালউদ্দিন স্মরণ ড. মুহাম্মদ ইউনূস নিঃসন্দেহে অর্থনীতিতে অবদান রেখেছেন, কিন্তু বাংলাদেশের রাজনৈতিক... more
This thesis is concerned with the licensing conditions of negative polarity items (NPIs) in negative and non-negative contexts. NPIs are, generally speaking, (groups of) words that are licensed in the scope of negative operators. NPIs... more
From Bengali Blues' music, Bangla poetry to the split time of inter-discoursive modernity; from the defunct Subaltern project to the new climates of history and the laboured, deferred timing of inscribing things in an ignited, lighter... more
An essay on how I have seen Rev. Dr. William Carey or what I feel about him.
Angela Kosta's poetry profoundly explores the tension between despair and hope. In The Epic of the Phoenix and Hope, she juxtaposes destruction with renewal, and suffering with resilience, using mythological, cosmic, and psychological... more
This research examines Rubel Prakritajan’s poem “Naki Amar Gobhiratamo Bhalobasha”, delving into the interplay between love, emptiness, and human existential experience. The poem articulates love as more than personal emotion, connecting... more
Kazi Nazrul Islam represents one of the most distinctive voices in Bengali literature, renowned for his rebellious spirit, humanism, and engagement with societal transformation. Through his poems, songs, essays, and other literary... more
A short piece on Vidyasagar's use of social scientific methodology, written in connection with my research into his polemical tracts composed against kulin polygamy— and kindly translated into Bangla for publication by the staff at ABP.
This paper argues that the course of the development of nation-consciousness in nineteenth century Kolkata as observed in the works of Ishwarchandra Gupta continues to get deflected, owing to the pressure of colonialism and the tendency... more
The potential role of microhistory in rescuing the lost remnants of past from oblivion is emphasized in this brief article, and the significance of a microhistorical perspectives for the historigraphy of the Bengali people is discussed... more
The question of why the Pakistani state was so ardent in its support of Urdu despite popular protest across the country, specifically in East Bengal, has been answered in a multitude of ways. Was the issue of language a hegemonic issue... more
Anyone who knows Bengal will be familiar with the world of bhuts (ghosts) and sankchunnis (spirits of married women). Tithi Bhattacharya uses this entry point to make an important intervention in the social history of India. Focusing on... more
This paper examines the political thought of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and frames him within the contours of the reform movements in early 19th-century colonial India. It follows the way he used both Indian spiritual culture and the western... more
This article speaks of certain landmark conflicts and clashes of ideas involving Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Rabindranath Tagore, which shaped the trajectory of our history, marked the end of the Bengali Babu (also spelt as baboo)... more
This study was conducted on the topic: “Classroom management and learners‟ achievement in secondary schools in Kitgum Town Council” with a purpose of determining the relationship between classroom management and learners‟ achievement.... more
This study explores Jiddu Krishnamurti's concept of freedom (or liberation), which he perceives not as a distant goal or religious reward but as a living reality in the present moment. For Krishnamurti, true freedom is the ending of... more
একুশের প্রবন্ধ ২০২৪
প্রধান সম্পাদক: মোহাম্মদ আজম
সম্পাদক: সরকার আমিন
প্রকাশক: বাংলা একাডেমি
প্রকাশকাল: মে ২০২৫
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s electoral victory in Manipur is linked to the state’s complex political landscape and a perceived absence of a Hindutva state. This paper examines how the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh confronted... more
In Sushruta's description of preparing a dead body for inspection implied two important things - (1) it is the first instance in known history of medicine where no knife was used in dissection, and (2) it did not actually dissect the body... more
The dumbstruck differences between Standard Bangla and Mymensingh Bangla in Bangladesh.
From being forced to exile at the age of twelve, to getting assassinated by the Israeli Mossad at the age of thirty-six, Ghassan Fayiz Kanafani’s life has stood as a testimony to the horrors created by Israeli occupation. As a... more
The research paper is a detailed study of role of spiritual guru(s) in Sri M's autobiography Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master (2011) and its sequel The Journey Continues (2017) within the backdrop of the Bhakti Movement. The researcher... more
A noble translator uncovers a text for the target language readers. An amateur translator, on the other hand, may destroy the prospect, beauty, and liveliness of the text. Therefore, while translating a text, a translator has to turn on... more
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