09/02/2026
𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑 (𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔)
On February 7, 2026, the Department of English and Humanities at ULAB hosted the Spring 2026 Graduate Student Seminar. Each semester, MA students are nominated by their course instructors to present research papers developed during their coursework. This semester, eleven MA students presented their research from the three tracks: Literature and Cultural Studies, Literature and Creative Writing, and Applied Linguistics and TESOL.
The seminar began with Rebeka Sultana (Batch 251), who presented her paper titled “From Shadows to Stars: The Human Search for Truth.” Drawing on Jostein Gaarder’s Sophie’s World, she explored the philosophical evolution of human thought from mythological explanations to rational inquiry.
Next, M. A. Rahat (Batch 252) presented his paper titled “Syntactic Hierarchy: Language is Governed by Morphology and Syntax.” He introduced the fundamental concepts of morphology and syntax and demonstrated how sentences are structured through hierarchical relationships.
Hasan Abdul Basit (Batch 252) followed with his paper “Masculinity in Crisis: The Threat of Women’s Agency,” examining how masculinity is constructed and destabilized within literary and cultural contexts.
Nafiza Nawar Nishu (Batch 253) then presented her paper “From Observation to Theory: Bridging Language Acquisition Theory and Classroom Practice.” Based on a three-month observation study, she explored how children acquire language and how classroom environments influence this process.
Using an ecofeminist framework, Rudaiba Mahbub (Batch 243) presented her paper “Worshipped to Death: Reading Satyajit Ray’s Devi as an Ecological Allegory” to analyze the film’s protagonist Dayamoyee as a symbolic representation of nature.
Next, Tabeen Siddiki (Batch 252) presented his creative-critical paper “The Ordinary Garden: A Look into the Practices and Techniques that Inspired a Book of Poetry.” He shared the practices and techniques that helped him write a chapbook of poems, containing a collection of haikus and short-form poetry.
Most. Nusrat Jahan Kabita (Batch 252) followed with her paper “Effects of Task-Based Language Teaching on Learner Motivation and Speaking Fluency in an English Medium School in Dhaka.” Through qualitative research and classroom observations, she examined how task-based learning approaches can enhance students’ motivation and fluency.
Ruxmini Reckvana Q. Choudhury (Batch 253) then presented her paper “Home is a Foreign Place,” which explored themes of displacement, identity, and belonging.
Drawing on Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy, Kazi Bushra Orpy (Batch 251) presented her paper “Beyond Textbooks: Critical Materials Development as a Source of Teacher Empowerment in Language Education,” to examine how educational materials function not only as teaching tools but also as ideological instruments.
Rowjatun Jannat (Batch 253) presented her paper titled “Memoir as Political Testimony: Blurring the Personal and the Historical.” Focusing on Ghada Karmi’s In Search of Fatima: A Palestinian Story, she analyzed how memoir serves as a form of political testimony.
Finally, Oishi Khan (Batch 253) presented her paper “Listening to Intimacy: ASMR, Spectatorship and Affective Labor on YouTube.” She examined ASMR as a contemporary media form that constructs intimacy through sound and performance.
The seminar concluded with Prof. Kaiser Haq, Prof. Shamsad Mortuza, Ms. Arifa Ghani Rahman, and Ms. Nadia Rahman distributing certificates to the presenters in recognition of their academic contributions.
Report by Raisa Anan (232)
PC: Ramisha Nujhat Raisa (232)
