From the infrastructure to the big picture: a critical reading of English language education policy and planning in Bangladesh

This chapter sets out to provide a descriptive, yet critical exploration of the complex nexus of history and policy of English language education (ELE) in Bangladesh. The intention is to combine ‘history’ and ‘policy’ in order to develop a wholesome understanding of ELE policy (ELEP) development process and its impacts in Bangladesh. In reviewing pertinent historical and education policy reports, the analysis identifies a series of influences, a clear indication of conflicts of ideologies deriving from macro-sociopolitics – the imposition of colonisation, the idealism of nationalism, and the emergence of globalisation in the process of developing ELEP in the country. The chapter then explores the outcomes of the tensions informing the current ELE landscape of Bangladesh. The chapter concludes by arguing for a reassessment of the present socio-political and economic context of Bangladesh so that a context-based, inclusive, and appropriate ELEP could be developed to reap and maximise the benefits of ELE in the longer term.