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This article examines English language teaching (ELT) policy, textbooks, and pedagogy in the neo-nationalist era that followed 9/11 in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Informed by the Douglas Fir Group's transdisciplinary framework of second language learning, the examination substantiates the ideologies of "economization," "de-Islamization" and "awamization," which coalesce into the overarching ideology of "secularization" of ELT as a response to the global war on terror and the rise of neo-nationalism in South Asia. This secular response to forces and developments in global, regional, and local contexts marks the distinctiveness of Bangladeshi ELT compared with other Muslim societies, which have sought to develop students' awareness of religious and cultural values while teaching English. The secularization of ELT can be explained by the rise of Hindutva nationalism in India and the latter's influence on the ruling Bangladesh Awami League government which has been in power for over 14 years. The article attests to the complex, multilayered ELT ideology shaped by local, regional, and global forces and interests, suggesting the formation of a national/social imaginary that seeks alliance with secular Muslims and non-Muslim communities at home and in the region and excludes practicing Muslims in both contexts.

This article draws on a framework based on Bernstein's three-message systems of schooling and Ball's notion of policy cycle to examine how the human capital development goal incorporated into the Bangladesh secondary English curriculum has been translated into pedagogy and assessment practices. Data were collected from classroom observations and teacher and principal interviews and document analysis. Findings indicate that while the curriculum has emphasized human capital development as an important English language education policy goal, pedagogy and assessment appear to be pursuing divergent goals and are mediated by local structures shaped by the colonial past and the current political economic context. The article highlights how human capital development is inadequate for substantive pedagogical and assessment practices and contributes to comparative education policy enactment studies by revealing how neoliberally oriented global education policy trends of human capital development unfold locally in schooling contexts in developing societies, namely, Bangladesh.

Although lexical borrowing from the English language into Bangla has been reported in the literature, not many studies have investigated the nature and the extent to which this borrowing has taken place in relation to Bangla short stories. This study examined five Bangla short stories, which were selected based on purposive sampling. Our analysis of the textual data drew upon thematic analysis. The findings of the study illustrated four types of borrowings, which were classified as 'with Bangla equivalents', 'without Bangla equivalents', 'with close Bangla equivalents', and 'hybridised'. The borrowed words were further studied to understand the domains in which lexical borrowing took place. Findings reported in this study indicate that an increasing number of English lexis is gradually getting their place within creative writings published in Bangla. These findings provide the basis for the argument that while lexical borrowings can enrich Bangla, this practice may also contribute to marginalising the language by replacing some of its lexis. The study contributes to our understanding of the nature of lexical borrowings from the English language into the contemporary short stories written in Bangla, notably by illustrating the domains in which the borrowings have taken place.

The use of (test) performance data for governing school and teachers' work, defined as datafication, has emerged as a global trend in education. However, how this trend plays out in relation to English language education in the local context, particularly in developing societies, has not received notable attention. Taking Bangladesh secondary education as a case, and drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's conceptual resources, this study highlights how datafication unfolds in schooling contexts and examines the "relations" between this trend and English language teachers' dispositions and pedagogical practices. The study employs a qualitative case study and draws on principal and teacher interviews, and classroom observation as data sources. Findings reveal that datafication has emerged as a practical logic of the schooling field, guiding schools and teachers' dispositions in specific ways, which contribute to reductive practices. Data also indicate teachers' capacity to mediate between competing logics and innovate practices, which are situated and "local." Based on these findings, this article argues that understanding the interplay between the specific logics of schooling, language education policy and teachers' structuring dispositions is key not only to understanding the nature of pedagogical practices, but also to establishing meaningful "relations" between policy and schooling practices amid growing datafication.

Although washback has been widely explored by applied linguists and education researchers, little attention has been paid to teacher agency in relation to it. It is critical to understand how language teachers navigate their pedagogy and respond to the broader curricular goals at a time when schools and teachers are being governed using examination and test data as accountability mechanisms. Drawing on data from classroom observations and interviews with two English teachers from a rural Bangladeshi school, this article illustrates how these teachers exercised their agency even under strong political pressure to improve students' test data. The findings indicate that traditional understanding of washback as deterministic may be insufficient to account for the complex ways in which teachers may respond to broader educational goals in the context of washback. The study concludes with theoretical, empirical, and pedagogic implications for washback research and teacher education.

Although use of high-stakes tests is common across developing societies, very little is known about how these tests are designed, what principles and criteria guide test construction, and what factors influence this process. The present study investigates the development of the English Paper-1 test for the Higher Secondary Certificate examination in Bangladesh, drawing on curriculum policy and test documents, and particularly on the perspectives of test writers and moderators. The findings reveal a range of conservative, compliant and context-responsive approaches that ensure the perpetuation of problematic test design practices and processes. The authors argue that these responses encourage 'ritualistic' design practices which negate concerns about test reliability and validity, and which obscure the basis by which winners and losers are created through the education system. Importantly, social celebration of this ritual does not seem to question the test architecture itself. The article contributes to our understanding of testing across societies.

This article reports on a study that was carried out to explore the factors that contribute to a negative washback effect on English language teaching (ELT) in secondary schools in Bangladesh. Twelve secondary school teachers were interviewed to understand their perspectives on which factors influenced their pedagogical choices. The interview data were supplemented with secondary material, including official documents, media resources, and NGO (non-government organisation) reports. Drawing on a body of washback research and the empirical data, we constructed the basis for the argument that test-external socio-political and contextual factors may play a substantial role in shaping the nature of washback. It is suggested that emphasising a testing-teaching causal relationship may be overly simplistic, as language teaching may be affected not only by assessment factors but also by a complex of social-psychological, political, economic, and data-driven accountability factors in which testing and teaching are embedded. These insights have implications for scholars in language testing and assessment, policy makers, program designers, and managers in contexts where language tests are believed to affect language instruction negatively.

Changes in river bank location have wide consequences on floodplain communities and the sustainability of floodplain ecosystems. Although river dynamics are monitored globally and locally, understanding the impact of riverine dynamics on land use change remains a challenge. Bangladesh, part of the Bengal Delta, is mostly made up of alluvial deposits and is crisscrossed by so many rivers. Jamuna is one of the prominent rivers in this region. This study presents a consistent evaluation of the dynamics of the Jamuna river and ensuing changes in land use over 48 years (1972–2020) depending on satellite observations and geospatial analysis. Changes in the presence of water were used to estimate the advance/retreat of the banks and loss/gain of land along 257 perpendicular transects along the common pattern of the centerlines of the river. We found that the overall loss of agricultural land was about 535.01 km2, sevenfold of the gained agricultural land. Other land use losses were bare lands 136.73 km2, waterbodies 80.37 km2, settlement 67.28 km2 and vegetation 132.79 km2 against 48.47 km2, 3.52 km2, 23.76 km2 and 6.14 km2 land use gains respectively. Agricultural land loss impacts the livelihood of the floodplain dwellers and settlement loss causes internal migration. This pattern of land use change driven by the river dynamics has created newer environmental challenges and additionally, climate change may intricate the situation in the future. The findings of this study throw insight into the fact and may aid in sustainable river training measures and floodplain management.

Abstract The rise in temperatures and changes in other meteorological variables have exposed millions of people to health risks in Bangladesh, a densely populated, hot, and humid country. To better assess the threats climate change poses to human health, the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is an important indicator of human heat stress. This study utilized high-resolution reanalysis data from the fifth-generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF ERA5) to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in outdoor WBGT across Bangladesh from 1979 to 2021, employing Liljegren's model. The study revealed an increase in the annual average WBGT by 0.08–0.5 °C per decade throughout the country, with a more pronounced rise in the southeast and northeast regions. Additionally, the number of days with WBGT levels associated with high and extreme risks of heat-related illnesses has shown an upward trend. Specifically, during the monsoon period (June to September), there has been an increase of 2–4 days per decade, and during the pre-monsoon period (March to May), an increase of 1–3 days per decade from 1979 to 2021. Furthermore, the results indicated that the escalation in WBGT has led to a five-fold increase in affected areas and a three-fold increase in days of high and extreme heat stress during the monsoon season in recent years compared to the earlier period. Trend and relative importance analyses of various meteorological variables demonstrated that air temperature is the primary driver behind Bangladesh's rising WBGT and related health risks, followed by specific humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation.

ABSTRACTThis scoping review summarises the findings of research conducted on cancer screening in Bangladesh, including the prevalence, awareness, barriers, and evaluation of screening programmes, by performing a comprehensive search of electronic databases and gray literature. 25 studies that met inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. Most of the studies were about screening for cervical cancer, were quantitative, were cross-sectional, and were conducted in hospital settings. The main challenges to screening uptake were shyness, fear, a lack of knowledge, and an inadequate understanding of the concept of screening. Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) was found to be a simple and cost-efficient way to detect early-stage cervical cancer. However, breast self-examination (BSE) was reported to be insufficient. Education was found to have a positive impact on cancer screening knowledge and practice, but more needs to be done to improve screening rates, such as the utilisation of media, particularly in rural areas. The results of this scoping review highlight Bangladesh's low cancer screening prevalence and uptake and suggest that targeted awareness campaigns and enhanced access to screening services are required to increase cancer screening uptake and reduce the cancer burden in Bangladesh.

We have proposed a novel method for assessing landslide risk by applying cutting-edge geospatial technologies and combining hazard, exposure, and vulnerability components. The Kutupalong Rohingya Camp (KRC) in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, was taken as a case study area. The district was hosting over one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, fleeing genocide and crimes against humanity. Extensive vegetation removal, hill cutting, exceptionally dense camps, fragile shelters, unstable soils, and excess monsoon rainfall were linked to yearly landslides. At first, ten landslide factor maps were produced, and a detailed fieldwork-based landslide inventory was conducted. Next, we applied various statistical and knowledge-based approaches for landslide susceptibility modelling. The most accurate susceptibility map was utilised to produce landslide hazard maps for different rainfall return periods. Next, we used population and shelter density data for exposure mapping and integrated age and gender-based factors for social vulnerability analysis. The hazard, exposure, and vulnerability maps were combined to produce the landslide risk map. Finally, we calculated shelters and refugee populations at risk for different scenarios. Camp 10 had the highest risk value, and historical landslide events validated the results. This study is replicable in a similar context and can be scaled up. It provides authentic information on landslide disaster scenarios that should be adopted in the decision-making process to reduce future impacts of catastrophic hydrometeorological disasters in the KRC and surrounding host community areas.

Abstract This article critically investigates a catastrophic rainfall-induced landslide event that occurred on 27 July 2021 in the Kutupalong Rohingya Camp (KRC) in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, from geological and geomorphological perspectives. Large-scale anthropogenic interventions mainly caused the disastrous landslide event in the KRC in addition to intense rainfall. Before the landslide occurrence, about 300 mm of cumulative rainfall was recorded in the previous seven days and 120 mm of rainfall during the landslide event. A preliminary investigation was conducted to understand the extent, causative factors, and landslide characteristics. The landslide is of mud-flow type, but on the nearby slope, slumping was also visible. The landslide length was about 33 m, width 31 m, and area 612 m2. The approximate volume of slope materials displaced during the landslide event was about 2450 m3. The displaced slope materials mainly were silt and sand. The landslide event caused five fatalities and damaged nearly 5000 shelters in the KRC area. The devastation from such a small landslide event was attributed to dense households on the slope’s hilltop, slope, and toe. The camp areas and host communities are subjected to frequent and fatal landslides in the years to come due to intense human interventions and climatic conditions. The modifications of the slopes have been reducing the cohesion and the shear strength of the slope materials. Therefore, it is recommended to undertake proper mitigation and preparedness measures, including developing and implementing a landslide early warning system to address the emerging humanitarian crisis in the KRC and its surroundings.

Changes in river bank location have wide consequences on floodplain communities and the sustainability of floodplain ecosystems. Although river dynamics are monitored globally and locally, understanding the impact of riverine dynamics on land use change remains a challenge. Bangladesh, part of the Bengal Delta, is mostly made up of alluvial deposits and is crisscrossed by so many rivers. Jamuna is one of the prominent rivers in this region. This study presents a consistent evaluation of the dynamics of the Jamuna river and ensuing changes in land use over 48 years (1972–2020) depending on satellite observations and geospatial analysis. Changes in the presence of water were used to estimate the advance/retreat of the banks and loss/gain of land along 257 perpendicular transects along the common pattern of the centerlines of the river. We found that the overall loss of agricultural land was about 535.01 km2, sevenfold of the gained agricultural land. Other land use losses were bare lands 136.73 km2, waterbodies 80.37 km2, settlement 67.28 km2 and vegetation 132.79 km2 against 48.47 km2, 3.52 km2, 23.76 km2 and 6.14 km2 land use gains respectively. Agricultural land loss impacts the livelihood of the floodplain dwellers and settlement loss causes internal migration. This pattern of land use change driven by the river dynamics has created newer environmental challenges and additionally, climate change may intricate the situation in the future. The findings of this study throw insight into the fact and may aid in sustainable river training measures and floodplain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Globally, a number of catastrophic hydrometeorological hazards occurred in 2017 among which the monsoon floods in South Asia was particularly disastrous, killing nearly 1200 people in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The wetland region (Haor) of northeastern (NE) Bangladesh was severely affected by flash floods early in 2017, affecting nearly 1 million households and damaging US $450 million worth of rice crops. This study investigates how the NE Bangladesh experienced the 2017 flash floods, and to what degree the wetland communities are vulnerable and resilience to flash floods. Focus group discussion, key informant interviews, and household questionnaire surveys (n = 80) were applied in the study area of Sunamganj district. Results from statistical analyses and regression modelling reveal that poor people are particularly vulnerable to floods but they are also more adaptive and thus resilient; middle-income households are vulnerable as they are hesitant to take up any jobs and accept flood relief; and rich households, despite being less adaptive, are able to recover from flood disasters because of wealth. This study reveals that resilience also stems from deep religious faith in the Haor inhabitants that supports communities to move on by accepting that most natural calamities such as flash floods are divine tests. This study also finds that women are particularly vulnerable and less resilient as they are not normally allowed to work outside of their homes and beyond the Haor communities due to cultural and religious reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]