Paper short abstract:

English plays two important roles in Bangladesh.The medium of education - Bengali or English - distinguishes the well-educated and economically advantaged urban dwellers from the under-educated and economically distressed rural population.

Paper long abstract:

English is regarded as an international as well as global language. It is by no means divested itself of a cultural context. Like many other Islamic countries, English plays an important role in the educational systems of Bangladesh. It is used as a second-language although it is spoken only by 3% of the population. Bangladesh suffers from continual poverty and more than half of the population is living under the poverty line. English plays two important roles in Bangladesh. One is that in post-colonial contexts, English had always been an elite language, and another is that it creates inequalities in the society. English is seen as an essential instrument in the economic development. The medium of education- Bengali or English - distinguishes the well- educated and economically advantaged urban dwellers from the undereducated and economically distressed rural population.

A three-pronged ethnographic method—(a) depth interviews with key policy planners; (b) non-participatory classroom observation; and (b) historical document analysis—was used to answer the following research question:

(i) How does English empower and privileges' elite and creates inequalities in the Bangladeshi society?

Results indicated that English is linked with the individual opportunity. English offers significant economic opportunity and privileges for its speakers. Thus, the present policy continues to support advantages for groups having access to English education, while contributing to the ongoing educational difficulties facing the rural and urban poor. This paper calls for language planning and policy that emphasize pedagogic equity.