Bangladeshi Literature In English : A Critical Anthology

The urge to express creatively in English among the people of what is now Bangladesh goes back to the early days of their colonial encounter with the British. Despite that, the tradition of Bangladeshi literature in English lagged behind its Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan counterparts, which have claimed precedence in literary history books and attracted considerable critical discussion. However, it should not be forgotten that from 1947 to 1971, Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) and Pakistan (then West Pakistan) constituted a single country, combinedly known as Pakistan. Consequently, the literary contribution of East Pakistani writers in English during that 24-year period became part of Pakistani literature in English. The first-ever critical anthology on Bangladeshi Anglophone literature, this book argues that the literary tradition has prolific and distinguished historical origins. It marks the beginning of more research in this area, as Bangladeshi literature in English has been growing steadily, especially in the twenty-first century.