I started my PhD studentship at Leeds Trinity University in 2022. My PhD intends to study the intergenerational vulnerability of Urdu-speaking Bangladeshi children and what effect this has on the community, following my own experiences of seeing this in action and wanting to effect change.

The Urdu-speaking population in Bangladesh have been a diaspora (a scattered population whose origin lies in a separate geographic locale) since 1971. While research regarding the communities displaced owing to partitions in the sub-continent have gained importance and yielded rich literature, the Urdu-speaking Bangladeshis are unique in that they did not leave their country but found themselves in the unfortunate position where their country had left them. Further, literature on their community has overwhelmingly treated them with scorn and seen them as the ‘enemy collaborator’. While the older generation has refused to accept citizenship owing to a sense of belonging for Pakistan, the younger generation were only given citizenship as late as 2008. Despite having citizenship, these children have little to no rights in the country. Literature on child welfare and citizenship rights are in abundance, however the children of this community have received no academic or international attention.

Before my PhD, I was fortunate enough to work as a research assistant with the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata, in collaboration with the Anthropological Survey of India. It was during this time that I first started working with mothers who had escaped the terrible conditions in the camps in Pakistan with their children and crossed borders illegally in hopes of a better life in Kolkata. Unfortunately, that was not the case and desperation and hunger forced them to a life of prostitution. I was deeply touched by their stories as my family was one of the few fortunate ones who had migrated from east Pakistan to settle into now Kolkata unharmed by the devastations of partition.

The community had mostly been viewed as a monolith both by the Bangladeshi Government and academics worldwide. When I spoke to these children, they told me stories of a wonderful Pakistan full of promises and opportunity which their parents promised once they were repatriated. They also told me of parks and schools that Bangladeshi children went to, and weren’t welcomed in because they were still viewed as the ‘other’. I remember one of the kids telling me: “Ora boleche amra bangali noy”, which translates into: “They said we are not Bengali”. This alerted me to the diabolical problems of conflicting notions of community, intergenerational identity and implications that had on access and welfare. When I came back home, I narrated the incidents to my brother, and we decided to make a short film with the interviews of these children. We wanted more people to hear about it and hopefully bring in the change I promised.

As I approached my seniors at the time with the request of making the documentary, I was rejected right away. All I managed to do was a street play in a train station. For a brief period I was happy with this, and I left to continue my Masters in History at the University of Warwick. Over the course of my Masters’ degree, I continued to engage in literature about the community and their struggles as a diaspora. When I saw the PhD opportunity at Leeds Trinity, I was incredibly excited to combine academic interest and passion. I contacted my now supervisor, Dr Sulochini Pather, who encouraged me to progress with my work. I had read her work on inclusive education and her research interests were similar to that of mine. Her encouragement was pivotal in finishing the thesis outline and making the application.

Now, I have started work on the PhD thesis with full funding from the University. Being an international student, I was always worried about funding opportunities. The studentship not only funded my entire tuition fees but gave me an additional stipend for sustenance. My peers in the department are extremely helpful and equally encouraging. When I told them that I was thinking of writing this blog, the first reply was: “Yours would be very interesting, Dhimoyee”. Dr Pather and Dr Icarbord Tshabangu, Programme Coordinator for Education Studies at Leeds Trinity University, are equally passionate about my work and what I found most inspiring was on my first meeting they told me: “Take our advice but feel comfortable to disagree, this is your work.”

I love working in this environment and look forward to finishing my PhD. Dr Pather also introduced me to colleagues with similar research interests. Anyone passionate about a project; this is your place!

Dhimoyee Banerjee is part of the PhD Studentship Programme at Leeds Trinity University, which means her PhD is fully funded by the University. Find out more about research at Leeds Trinity on our website.