Language in education policy in Bangladesh

This chapter provides an overview of language policy in the Bangladeshi education system from the early days of independence in 1971 to the present decade. It discusses relationships between language policy, nation-state and neoliberalism followed by an examination of how nationalism informed early language policy in Bangladesh. The chapter illustrates the neoliberal turn with reference to the establishment of English medium schools and private universities and to the growing dominance of non-­government organization education in the country. Bangladesh as a polity is underrepresented in international scholarship on language or education policy. The chapter shows how language policy in Bangladesh relates to neoliberal ideology. It argues that from an early start with linguistic nationalism through a period of balanced planning, language policy direction in the country appears to be heading towards neoliberalism under the influence of local and global forces.