Successful Completion of 5th Seminar of Fanon Week

The Department of English advanced its seminal six-part seminar series Frantz Fanon at 100: Decolonizing the Mind, Reimagining the World with Seminar 5:  "Frantz Fanon and the Struggles of Contemporary Bangladesh", held on 21 July 2025. The event drew a thoughtful audience of 90 students and faculty, engaging deeply with Fanon’s theories on psychological decolonization and their relevance to Bangladesh’s socio-political landscape.

The program was masterfully hosted by Md. Ashiqur Rahman Sourav, whose poised moderation set a reflective tone. Dr. Elham Hossain, Associate Professor, delivered a welcoming address, framing Fanon’s work as "a mirror to our unresolved struggles with identity and power."

Professor AKM Mazharul Islam (SUST, Anthropology), a scholar renowned for his research on postcolonial identities, dissected Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, emphasizing cognitive revolution over mere political violence:

● Psychological Liberation: He argued that Fanon’s shift from psychiatry to revolutionary theory underscored how colonial trauma manifests as internalized oppression, requiring "a mental decolonization" to dismantle systemic inequities.

● Bangladesh’s Context: Drawing parallels between Algeria’s struggle and Bangladesh’s postcolonial challenges, he highlighted how language hierarchies, economic disparities, and cultural erasure perpetuate modern forms of subjugation.

● Fanon’s Legacy: Stressing that "liberation is not a passive process," he urged attendees to confront complacency, echoing Fanon’s call for "the courage to reimagine justice beyond inherited frameworks."

Audience engagement was fervent during the Question and Answer session, with students probing intersections of digital colonialism and neocolonial economics in contemporary Bangladesh.

The session honored the presence of Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khawza Iftekhar Uddin Ahmed whose presence underscored the university’s commitment to critical scholarship. Faculty members, including Dr. Md. Shamim Mondol (Chairperson, Department of English), ensured interdisciplinary resonance.

Dr. Md. Shamim Mondol concluded with a powerful invocation in Bengali:

"আলোকিত হতেই হবে! আলোকিত হবই আমরা" ("We must illuminate; we shall be illuminated").

He emphasized the seminar’s role in fostering critical consciousness and announced future initiatives to sustain Fanon’s legacy.

The seminar succeeded in bridging historical analysis with local activism, ensuring Fanon’s theories remain a living framework for justice.