EWU hosts ‘7th Nahreen Khan Memorial Lecture’ with Dr Niaz Zaman

East West University (EWU) hosted the 7th Nahreen Khan Memorial Lecture on 16 July, 2025 at the university's Manjur Elahi Auditorium. This year's keynote address was delivered by Dr Niaz Zaman, renowned educationist, 2025 Ekushey Padak recipient, and retired professor of English at Dhaka University. Her lecture, titled "Literary Translation and Translators: Bangladesh and Beyond", explored the evolving landscape of literary translation and its growing relevance both in Bangladesh and globally.

Dedicated to the memory of the late Nahreen Khan—a former EWU student and daughter of the late Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to the caretaker government—the event drew academics, students, and members of the EWU community.

In her lecture, Dr Zaman discussed the increasing recognition of translated literature, as evidenced by prestigious awards such as the International Booker Prize and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, which now regularly include works in translation from diverse languages. A significant portion of her talk focused on the practice of self-translation, particularly Rabindranath Tagore's own English rendering of Gitanjali, which ultimately won him the Nobel Prize in Literature.

She also addressed the complexities of preserving cultural specificity in translation, highlighting the challenges of rendering culturally nuanced terms for a broader, international readership.

Dr Zaman shed light on Bangladesh's emerging translation industry, tracing its origins from practical translations for international organisations to the recent surge in literary translation aimed at engaging both the Bengali diaspora and younger English-educated Bangladeshis. She pointed out that many Bangladeshi writers seek international recognition through English translations of their work. One of the main challenges, she noted, remains the international distribution of these translated texts. She suggested that ebooks and international book fairs could serve as vital platforms for broader distribution. She also highlighted the contributions of literary journals and newspapers in promoting translated literature.

The programme included speeches by several distinguished guests, including Professor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, Chairperson of EWU's Board of Trustees and former Governor of Bangladesh Bank; Professor Dr Shams Rahman, Vice-Chancellor of EWU; Professor Dr Fakrul Alam, former professor of English at Dhaka University; and Air Cdre (retd.) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury, Treasurer of EWU.

The event was attended by faculty members, students, university officials, and family members of the late Nahreen Khan, who gathered to pay tribute to her legacy and engage in meaningful discussion on the power and promise of literary translation.