Abstract:
Bangladeshi Literature in English (BLE) exists at the crossing of two
contending colonial paradigms: Orientalism and Anglicism. Orientalism, as
the present connotation suggests, is a romantic narrative of the Orients. On
the other hand, Anglicism is thrusting the domination of the English language.
These tensions have profoundly shaped BLE, as it grapples with issues
of identity, language, and cultural representation in both local and global
contexts. The Orientalist perspective often relegated Bangladeshi culture to
an exotic, unchanging otherness, while the Anglicist framework promoted
English as a vehicle for progress, sidelining indigenous traditions. BLE resists
these reductive binaries, creating a space for Bangladeshi authors to reclaim
narrative agency. Writers like Abid Khan, Numair Atif Choudhury, Razia Khan
and Kaiser Haq, Raj Reader etc. exemplify this dual engagement, blending
indigenous motifs with modernist and postmodernist techniques to forge a
hybrid literary identity. Through poetry, fiction, and drama, BLE critiques
colonial legacies while addressing contemporary issues such as globalization,
political instability, and diasporic identity. This paper explores how BLE
serves as a site of cultural negotiation, where the legacies of colonialism
intersect with the aspirations of a postcolonial nation. By critically examining
the works of key authors, it highlights BLE’s role in decolonizing narratives
and fostering a literary tradition that transcends imposed binaries. Ultimately,
BLE asserts a dynamic identity that honors local traditions while engaging
with global literary currents, offering a nuanced portrayal of Bangladesh’s
evolving place in a globalized world.
