Sunday, June 21 2026:

The Institute of English and Other Languages held a seminar on “Narratives of Power and Power of Narratives,” chaired by the Director of the Institute, Dr. Maswood Akhter, and featuring Dr. Natasha Afrin (Associate Professor, IEOL) and Hisham Mohammad Nazer (Assistant Professor, Varendra University) as keynote speakers on the subject. The seminar was attended by the students and faculties of IEOL, Departments of English from both the University of Rajshahi and Varendra University, as well as faculty members from various other institutions.

The seminar critically examines the dynamics of how hegemonic narratives are produced and sustained, how they shape social and political realities, and how alternative narratives can contest, disrupt, and reimagine those realities. By engaging with these questions, the seminar also proposes a participation in an intellectual tradition that seeks not only to interpret the world but also to understand the forces that shape the perceptions of it. Both the addresses by Hisham Mohammad Nazer and Dr. Natasha Afrin provide valuable insights and stimulate meaningful sociopolitical reflections, encouraging all participants to engage actively, share their perspectives, and contribute to the dialogue. After the conclusion of the addresses, the seminar was concluded after a Q&A session with the participants and a vote of thanks by Dr. Sharmin Akhter (Associate Professor, IEOL).