East West University (EWU) on Wednesday organised the 7th Nahreen Khan Memorial Lecture, focusing on the dynamic evolution of literary translation in Bangladesh and beyond.
Held at the university’s Manjur Elahi Auditorium, the commemorative event featured Dr Niaz Zaman — educationist, 2025 Ekushey Padak recipient, and retired professor of the English Department at the Dhaka University — as the keynote speaker.
Her lecture, titled “Literary Translation and Translators: Bangladesh and Beyond,” examined the shifting global landscape of translated literature and the growing recognition of translated works on international platforms.
Dedicated to the memory of Nahreen Khan, a former EWU student and daughter of late Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to the caretaker government, the event served both as a tribute and a scholarly engagement with contemporary issues in translation studies.
Dr Zaman highlighted the increased prominence of literary translations in prestigious awards such as the International Booker Prize and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She delved into the concept of self-translation, referencing Rabindranath Tagore’s English rendering of Gitanjali, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Her address also tackled the cultural complexities inherent in translation, stressing the fine balance between preserving cultural specificity and ensuring accessibility for a global readership.
She further explored the rise of Bangladesh's translation industry, which has moved from functional documentation to vibrant literary expression. A notable trend, she observed, is the growing demand for Bangla-to-English literary translations among the global Bengali diaspora and English-educated readers in Bangladesh.
However, Dr Zaman also pointed out the challenge of international distribution of such works, proposing the use of e-books and international book fairs to broaden their reach. The importance of literary journals and newspapers in promoting translated literature was also acknowledged.
The event was joined by the presence of several distinguished individuals including Professor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, Chairperson of the EWU Board of Trustees and former Governor of Bangladesh Bank; Professor Dr Shams Rahman, Vice-Chancellor of EWU; Professor Dr Fakrul Alam, former professor at Dhaka University; and Air Cdre (retd) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury, Treasurer of EWU.
Faculty members, students, officials, and family members of the late Nahreen Khan attended the event, contributing to a rich and reflective dialogue on the present and future of literary translation.