The Department of English, BUP successfully organized an insightful seminar on 26th April 2026 titled "The Aviary Metaphor: Reimagining Zenana Space Beyond Orientalist Fantasies."

The seminar was graced by keynote speaker Professor Sabiha Huq, PhD, Department of English and Humanities, BRAC University and Department of English, Khulna University (currently on leave), whose thought-provoking presentation opened up new ways of understanding gendered spaces beyond traditional narratives. Dr. Huq's speech encouraged to move beyond viewing the zenana as a fixed or single space, and instead to approach it as something layered, historically situated, and open to multiple interpretations. By bringing into focus figures such as Gulbadan Begum, Jahanara Begum, Zeb-un-Nissa, and Habba Khatoon, she reminded that women within these spaces were not silent, but actively engaged in writing, reflection, and cultural production.

The seminar also featured an engaging panel discussion by members of the Department of English: Assistant Professor Sahria Islam Trisha, Lecturer K. M. Arefin and Graduate Student Zerin Tasnim Ahmed.

Their discussion, "Enclosed Yet Speaking: The Aviary Metaphor and Gendered Space in Select Bengali Fiction," offered compelling insights into how confinement and expression intersect within literary representations of women's spaces. The panel discussion had taken up Bankim Chandra Chattyapadhay's Durgeshnondini, Syed Waliullah's Tree Without Roots and Selina Hossain's River of My Blood to contextualize the 'Aviary' metaphor from different theoretical angels. 

The event concluded with Vote of Thanks from Professor Fahmida Haque, PhD, Chairman, Department of English, BUP and Brigadier General Mohammad Shahiduzzaman Khan, ndc, afwc, psc, Dean, FASS, BUP, whose speeches highlighted the importance of such critical academic engagements.

The seminar fostered meaningful academic dialogue, encouraging critical reflection on literature, space, and identity, truly an enriching experience for all participants.