The fundamental objective of this research paper is to examine how interfaith dialogue can be an effective mechanism to combat the forces of radicalization and extremism in Bangladesh. To unveil the answer to this question, this study has explored the nature of the politicization of Islam and the scope of Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh. Reviewing the existing pieces of literature, this research paper has identified that there has been a rise in Islamic extremism since the beginning of the 21st century, which evolved throughout the last two decades changing in its nature and intensity. It has illustrated that after the military coup of 1975, the military rulers and the following democratic governments of Bangladesh carried on the tendency of politicizing religion and have used state mechanisms to Islamize Bangladeshi society. However, to address this recent trend of rising militancy, interfaith dialogue can be an effective approach that will shrink the potential of radicalization and extremism in Bangladesh. This study proposes incorporating an interreligious curriculum in the education system of Bangladesh and the engagement of religious preachers as well as mass people of different faiths including various sects of each religion in such interfaith dialogue initiatives to improve understanding and compassion. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 165-184
Private television is the most popular mass media in Bangladesh with a vast audience of both news and programs. However, research on private television and its news media has not advanced sufficiently. Analysing available research on different databases this study identifies general trends in Bangladesh’s private television and its news media research which shows that in addition to low volume of research, most of the study focused on some common aspects resulting in many significant areas unexamined. Finally, this article suggests new agendas in news media research with particular focus on the role of the state, ownership and news labour—three key stakeholders of the private television news media. This investigation will contribute to the scholars and industry insiders to identify the gap in private television research, especially in relation to the news media, and take necessary initiatives. Social Science Review, Vol. 39(2), June 2022 [Special Issue] Page 79-98
The purpose of this study is to explain the relationship between perceived quality of local service delivery performance and citizens’ satisfaction through confidence at urban local government level in Bangladesh. A mediation model was framed to test the indirect relationship between perceived quality of service delivery performance and citizens’ satisfaction. Data was collected through a survey during April 2014 – June 2014. The survey included ten Paurashavas (Municipality) while the participants (n = 706) were selected based on gender ratio and Ward of the Paurashavas. Multilevel path analysis was conducted using MPLUS 8 to examine the mediation model. The results showed that citizens’ confidence partially mediates the relationship between perceived quality of service delivery performance and citizens’ satisfaction. Social Science Review, Vol. 38(2), December 2021 Page 117-133
Everything that human beings do from the time of their birth, is a way for them to deny the inevitability of their death. A person adopts a myriad of ways to transcend the fear of death from their life and consciousness. This paper examines how the artistic medium of Bengali cinema provides insights into this existential issue and offers ways to overcome anxieties associated with human decay. Employing the Terror Management Theory (TMT) and film narratology, the study analyses two of Srijit Mukherji’s films, Baishe Srabon (2011) and Hemlock Society (2012), that involve plots where the characters explicitly encounter the fear of death. Both films substantiate TMT’s stance that humans seek immortality by establishing a “cultural worldview” and “self-esteem”, which provide individuals with an illusion of symbolic existence that will last even after their death. Social Science Review, Vol. 38(2), December 2021 Page 159-174
The biomedical treatment of infertility has spread throughout the world rapidly, though the cultural understanding of its techniques stagger in various cultures and societies. The local moral ideologies and cultural urge of fertility have treated the infertile people miserably. In Bangladesh, biomedical treatments of infertility are being introduced, and many are approaching it, depending upon not only their affordability but also on various socio-cultural factors. The cultural interpretation of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) depends on various social components, like patriarchy, moral values, and belief system related to childbirth. Thus, the social exposure and moral pioneers of the recipient of treatment play significant roles in postulating the conception of IVF. This paper identifies the cultural interpretation of IVF among the infertile couples of urban Dhaka through their experience in addressing biomedical infertility treatment. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 41-55
