Panel Discussion on Language Documentation and Linguistics Research
The University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh held an engaging panel discussion, featuring linguists, community activists, and cultural representatives, on "The Art of Language Documentation and The Role of Technology in Linguistics Research" on November 22, 2025 as the culminating session of a 3-day student workshop on the same topic, facilitated by Dr. David A. Peterson, Senior Linguistics Fellow at the Department of English and Humanities, ULAB, and Associate Professor of Linguistics, Dartmouth College, USA.
Dr. Peterson set the tone with an overview of the workshop which aimed to train the student participants in the methods of language documentation and ethical issues involved in such documentation. During the 3-day workshop, participants made audio and video recordings of the native language consultants from the Marma, Bawm, and Mro communities. Later, the participants learned about analyzing the collected data by using traditional and advanced software for language documentation.
During the panel discussion, community language activist Samar M Soren (Founder & Head, Language Resource Hub) expressed concern over the lack of transparency between language researchers and indigenous communities, emphasizing that communities should have equal access to linguistic data. Supporting this view, Dr. Mashrur Imtiaz (University of Dhaka) stressed that sharing all documentation back with the community is essential for genuine language development and to prevent extinction. Dr. Asifa Sultana (BRAC University) stated that documenting ethnic languages and developing the grammar of those languages are coterminous. To carry out this task, researchers need to work with the native speakers of those languages.
Nukraching Marma (Director, KNSI-Bandarban) added that preserving culture is crucial to safeguarding language as language carries cultural meaning. Echoing her concerns, UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh, Dr. Susan Vize highlighted the need for a national archive to centralize information and noted that, due to limited online resources on Indigenous languages, Bangladesh is not yet ready for AI systems that can effectively support them. Finally, Rani Ukhengching Marma (Mong Circle Chief’s Representative, Khagrachhari) shared her observations that Bangladesh still lacks an Indigenous language policy, leaving outside forces to dictate language learning for Indigenous children. She stressed that these decisions are often made without consulting the communities themselves.
The discussion, moderated by Oliur Rahman Sun, Lecturer, Department of English and Humanities, ULAB, ended with a Q & A session where panelists answered various relevant and noteworthy questions from workshop trainees, aspiring linguists, academics, alumni, and faculty members of ULAB and other universities.
Professor Kaiser Haq, Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, who also spoke at the event, emphasized the importance of documenting stories and narratives as well as translation and featured writings with a focus on Indigenous communities. Acting Vice Chancellor of ULAB, Prof. Milan Kumar Bhattacharya appreciated the department’s initiative and reiterated ULAB’s commitment to language preservation and community engagement which aligns with the university’s core liberal arts philosophy. Prof. Shamsad Mortuza, Special Advisor to the ULAB Board of Trustees in his closing remarks thanked Dr. Peterson and Prof. Mahmud Hasan Khan and his team for the activities taking place during the former’s 10-day fellowship to promote interest in Linguistics. He thanked the distinguished panel members for holding an important discussion on the state of research on language documentation, the role of UNESCO in nurturing the discussion locally, and the challenges they all face in this area.
Towards the end of the program, Dr. Peterson handed over certificates of completion to the 13 participants of the 3-day workshop. Professor Mahmud Hasan Khan, instrumental in facilitating Dr. Peterson’s fellowship at ULAB and organizing all related events including the workshop and panel discussion, concluded the program with his vote of thanks.
