Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Humanities

Artworks as Protest after Rana Plaza Collapse: Frames, Emotions, and Injustices in the Workers’ Rights Movement in Bangladesh

Samina Luthfa — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This article details the framing of emotions and workplace injustices through creative avenues and the politics of communication by activist artists from all over the world that worked in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013 at Savar near Dhaka in Bangladesh. Analyzing poems, photographs, and dramatic performances, used during the protests against Rana Plaza owners, factory owners and the government, I argue that such creative works not only frame the injustices against workers but also the reflexive, affective and moral emotions to motivate audiences in resisting such injustices. After the collapse of Rana Plaza, activists framed their protests trying to express their own anguish and incite different kinds of emotions among their audience that will in turn make them active in protest. Although it is impossible to measure the impact of these creative works of art as protest, these art works are from local and international artists and were presented to transnational audiences, which sheds light on the diffusion of the protest around the world.

Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Hum.), Vol. 68(2), 2023, pp. 153-174

Gender and Sexuality in Contraceptive Advertising in Bangladesh (1972-2011) – An Audience Perspective

Umme Busra Fateha Sultana — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

‘In our time sex outside marriage was a taboo. But now it is increasingly happening [...]. In today’s context [...] it is very important to build awareness.’ Such perspective from Mitiis indicative of a contemporary phenomenon with regard to portraying pre/extra marital sexual intimacy in condom advertisements (ads) in Bangladesh. Drawing from research findings of 36 in-depth interviews, this paper interrogates women’s responses to new-old (non)normative presence of sexuality in these ads, across three social classes and three generations. The paper reflects how social class, age and other identities might shape mediated conversations about normativity vs. shifting “realities” of sexuality in contemporary Bangladesh. The discussions suggest although some women want to see a reflection of the “real”, which is, the increasing practices of pre/extra marital sex, many like to see the “ideal”, the “traditional” forms of sexuality depictions in these ads. What seems significant – with regard to the portrayal of sexual intimacy, a majority of the women talk at a much-generalised level: not always tying into their experiences or their own families. They continuously engage with a dialogue with the ads, and often compare an idealised earlier period with “now” which they consider problematic.

Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Hum.), Vol. 68(2), 2023, pp. 175-192

Interfaith Dialogue: An Islamic Framework

M Elius — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study analyses the concept of interfaith dialogue, a widely popular issue, from an Islamic perspective with a view to mitigating religious misunderstanding and promoting interfaith harmony. The study adopts qualitative content analysis based on historical elucidations of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. For this purpose, historical documents including both classical and contemporary Islamic literature have been analysed along with recent scholarly journal articles, theses, dissertations, as well as reliable online contents. The findings reveal that Islam accepts interfaith dialogue as a necessary condition for promoting peaceful coexistence and interfaith harmony in every society. The Qur'an has laid a great emphasis on maintaining unity in diversity. The Prophet (PBUH) was a model for mitigating interfaith conflicts throughout his life. Though a few Qur’anic verses seem incongruous with interfaith dialogue and harmony, upon investigation, they are attested to be applied to specific circumstances only. Finally, it concludes that Islam, being a universal religion, plays a unique role in mitigating interfaith encounters and encouraging peaceful coexistence among the followers of different religions and cultures of the world.

Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Hum.), Vol. 68(2), 2023, pp. 193-206

A Harmonious Synthesis of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism in the Matrix of Chinese Culture: An Overview

Mohammad Jahangir Alam — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This paper proposes a process of synthesis based on Chinese socio-historical context in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the synthesis of three major religious traditions of East Asia such as Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. At the same time, to be considered is the syncretic approach through which these religions have attained popularity throughout all Eastern and Far Eastern parts of Asia. Thus, in order to make a reasonable justification for the current study, an attempt is made to explore how these religions have appeared to be more or less similar to each other in case of their beliefs and practices. The purpose of the current paper is to decipher the points where and how these three religions interact with each other in terms of belief and practice that is based on a cultural bridge between China and other East Asian countries. This paper offers an overview of the harmonious synthesis of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism in the matrix of Chinese culture. In conclusion, it points out a new mode of syncretism which can be called "Hybridization"- a new insight into the process of synthesis.

Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Hum.), Vol. 68(2), 2023, pp. 207-218

The ‘Firangi Mahal’: Family of the Learned and their Contribution to the Development of Islamic Educational Curriculum

Abdul Momen — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Firangi Mahal Family have consistently produced Islamic scholars, authors, mystics, politicians, and philanthropists for hundreds of years, making them the only family in the world to have done so. They stressed maqulat (rational science) rather than manqulat (transmitted science), and through this educational system, administrators, business people, poets, and writers were all adequately prepared for their relevant positions. Their most excellent intellectual outcome was the systemization of a new curriculum which, with improvements, has overtaken religious teaching in South Asia to the 21st century. This article will explain the Firangi Mahal family's contribution to knowledge advancement and their educational curriculum system. Data were obtained and examined from secondary sources, direct observation, and earlier research such as articles and journal publications. The results of this study show how committed this family is to serving humanity and how accepting they are of people. Furthermore, this study will assist in creating a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of Islamic curricula in the 18th and 19th centuries and the impact of the Dars-e-Nizami curriculum developed by Mullah Nizam Uddin Firangi Mahal in South Asia.

Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Hum.), Vol. 68(2), 2023, pp. 219-240

Portrayal of the Matuas in the Christian Missionary Writings

Debabbrata Mondal — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The paper exposes the socio-economic condition of the early 20th-century Matua community of Bangladesh. It unfolds how the Matuas strived for elevation to the mainstream of national life. They desired for upliftment by securing their rightful and logical position in the broader arena dismantling untouchability and social exclusion imposed on them. They took education as the most suitable medium to make them worthy for every sphere of life. It tells the Australian Baptist missionaries’ outlook on the Matuas and their remarks on the Matuas’ uplifting activities as well as the Matuas’ gradually changing views on life and society. It reflects why the missionaries came to Orakandi. Every single issue of the community has been presented on the basis of the experiences of four missionaries who worked among the Matuas and/or collected a vast knowledge on this once despised backward class of people. Among the four missionaries, three are from the 20th century, and the rest one is from the 21st century and their four relevant books have been selected for this study.

Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Hum.), Vol. 68(2), 2023, pp. 241-261

Rent Seeking in Power and Energy Sector in Bangladesh

Moshahida Sultana — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

As the power and energy sector of Bangladesh has become increasingly susceptible to external shocks like Ukraine war and dollar crisis, the growing dependency on imported energy is being questioned from the energy security point of view. While the technology and policy actors hold depletion of gas resources and the need for diversification as the reasons to justify increasing import dependency, the proponents for energy security using indigenous resources point out at the negligence in exploring potential indigenous gas reserve and the inability to deploy renewable energy. Why in last one-decade Bangladesh adopted new energies like coal, nuclear, and LNG, rather than exploring natural gas and incentivizing solar and wind, has still remained a puzzle. This paper uses the rent seeking framework to identify how rent seeking structures differ across energy technologies and whether the differences had any implications for incentivizing some energy use while not incentivizing others.

Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Hum.), Vol. 68(2), 2023, pp. 263-286