Writers' Profiles
Abrar Hossain Zain
Abrar Hossain Zain is a student in Standard V at Sunnydale School, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is eleven years old and writing short stories is his passion. He has been writing short stories since 2016. Apart from writing short stories, he loves singing classical songs; specifically, Rabindra Sangeet. He also loves painting and travelling.
Afroza Aziz Suchana
Afroza Aziz Suchana is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Asia Pacific, Banglsdesh. She is currently pursuing her PhD at the Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka. Earlier, she completed her B. A. (Honours) and M. A. in Applied Linguistics and ELT from the Department of English, University of Dhaka. Her areas of interest include gender equity in textbooks, Communicative Language Teaching, materials development and code-switching etc. She presented and published scholarly articles on these areas.
Alina Manha
Alina Manha is a student at Sir John Wilson School, Dhaka. She started writing in 2015, and has a deep passion for creative writing, especially stories. Her favorite book series are Harry Potter Percy Jackson and & Nancy Drew. Every year she participates in the creative writing competition held by her school and her work has been published in her school yearbook. Alina also loves music and dancing, and performing in school drama productions. For the past two years, Alina has also been the fastest runner in her age group in her annual school sports competition.
Ehsanul Alam Sabbir
Ehsanul Alam Sabbir is an engineer by profession, but likes to explore life; cycling, running marathons, travelling and reading books being his passions. Currently working as a Software Quality Assurance Engineer for BRAC Bank, he has completed an MSc in Information Technology from Dhaka University, and before that a BSc in Electrical Engineering from BRAC University.
Husne J. Alam
Ms. Husne J. Alam is a retired professor who has worked as the Director at WINGS English Language Centre, UAP, IUB, Islamic University in Gazipur, the Government College for Women, Karachi, Rajshahi Govt. College, and Eden Girls College. She has also been an active member of SPELT and BELTA and a volunteer ESL teacher in the USA. She holds several post graduate degrees in English, American Literature and EFL/ ESL and has published widely in her academic fields of interest as well as several creative writing works.
Ismat Zarin
Ms. Ismat Zarin is a published researcher in the field of applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and ELT in international journals. Writing short stories and articles is her passion. She holds a post-graduate degree in English language and literature from the Department of English, University of Dhaka, and is a recipient of the 'Inspiring Green Educator Award 2018' at the Green School Conference, 2nd Climate Week NYC, UNGA (United Nations General Assembly), 2018. Her areas of interest include linguistic and cultural diaspora, sociolinguistics, comparative phonological studies, psycholinguistics, teaching language through literature, TESOL, and ELT. At present, she is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English, at the University of Asia Pacific, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Apart from teaching, she is also actively involved with community organizations working for gender equality, skills development among youth and combatting climate change.
Jannatul Adon Mimi
Jannatul Adon Mimi is a student writer, who kindly gave us permission to use her story "A Moment of Success" as the first contribution to the "Stories About Ourselves" project. Her English teacher at the time of writing was Ms. S. Akter, whose collaborative NELTA 2017 conference workshop with Ms. T. Begum, describing their research into Bangladesh learners' English reading material preferences, inspired the "Stories About Ourselves" project. Unfortunately, we do not have a photograph of her, so instead there is a photo of some of the dedicated teachers who are members of the project writing group, taken during one of our planning meetings.
Kamrun Nahar
Kamrun Nahar works as a creative manager in private company named Venture Solutions Ltd. She also works as a feature writer for “Fintech” Magazine. She is passionate about writing & reading. Gathering people’s perceptions, generating ideas & interpreting them with humour can be interpreted as her writing style. Therefore, she mostly takes nature and human emotions as her writing content. Though sometimes she says she loses hope in this dystopian world, she always hopes to survive. She has published short stories, poems, feature articles both in Bangla and English. One of her stories have been published in book compilation named “Ten Square” at the national fair of Bangladesh in 2020. Her Bangla poems have been published in web pages, daily newspapers and magazines in Bangladesh and India. She runs her own blog and Facebook page under the name of Sofed Bihongo (সফেদ বিহঙ্গ).
Kanita Ridwana
Kanita Ridwana is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at Stamford University Bangladesh. She has been working there since 2006. She worked in University of Asia Pacific as a part time teacher. She graduated with her Masters in Applied Linguistics and ELT from the Department of English, University of Dhaka. Currently she is doing her PhD at the Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka. Her focus is the speaking skills of EFL learners. Kanita has presented papers at international seminars in Singapore and Nepal focusing on the challenges and difficulties faced by EFL speakers of Bangladesh and psychological aspects of learning. She is interested in developing materials accessible and appropriate for Bangladeshi EFL learners who have rare chance to interact with L1 English speakers. She is also working on the current evaluation system of EFL learners.
Lutfun Naher Mahmud Oysharja
Profile Lutfun Naher Mahmud Oysharja is a final year student in the Department of English at Daffodil International University, Dhaka. She is passionate about scrutinizing and deconstructing poetic and creative art works. She has participated in national and international seminars held in the arena of English literature and language. Some of her poems and art works have been published in different books, magazines and journals. Her art works have been placed in art exhibitions and she has received several art awards.
Mansura Mahmuda
Mansura Mahmuda is the Founder Director of Mirpur Language Institute where courses of different languages are being taught to adult learners from all over Bangladesh. She has been teaching English language and literature since 2006, both to secondary and tertiary level students at renowned English medium schools and private universities in Dhaka city. She developed her keen interest in short stories in her literature classes with the high school students of Maple Leaf International School. Afterward, she found it worthwhile to blend this approach with language teaching during her teaching period at the International University of Business, Agriculture and Technology. Using stories in the English Language classes to develop the learners’ reading and listening skills has made her feel the urge to write short stories.
Md. Ziaul Karim
Md. Ziaul Karim is an Assistant Professor of English in the Department of Languages at Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. He has also worked at Presidency University, Independent University Bangladesh (IUB), Southeast University, BRAC University and Open University in Bangladesh. Mr. Karim previously served as a Survival English Consultant for the refugee migration programme at International Organisation for Migration (IOM). He is the present Regional Coordinator, Dhaka Zone of Medical English Programme, a certificate course conducted at all public medical colleges by Oncosys International Ltd. and assigned by DG Health, Bangladesh. He achieved a Certificate in TESOL from the University of South Carolina and Certificate in Webskills from the University of Oregon, USA. In addition, he obtained BA (Hons) in English and MA in Applied Linguistics and ELT from the Department of English, Dhaka University.
Mostafizur Rahman Shamim
Mr. Mostafizur Rahman Shamim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Bheramara College, Kushtia, Bangladesh, and is the Chapter Coordinator of the BELTA Kushtia Chapter. He is a writer, columnist, motivational speaker, moderator, facilitator, and socio-cultural activist, and also a Master Trainer of ICT in Education and is the District Ambassador of A2I run by the Bangladeshi Government. He is a Vigilance Team Member of Public Examinations at the Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Jessore, and also a judge of the National Creative Talent Exploration competition. Mr. Mostafizur Rahman Shamim has been the examiner and scrutinizer of National University, Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Jessore and Bangladesh Technical Education Board and is a past winner of the Upazila Best Teacher Award. His research interests include good governance, leadership and ethical values, and helping learners acquire stronger English language skills using information technology.
Mouri Mahajabin
Mouri Mahajabin is a final year student in the Department of English, East West University, majoring in literature. She has been working as an undergraduate teaching assistant in the Department of English, East West University since Fall 2017. She is highly interested in feminism, postcolonialism and cultural study. Her concern about society and human psychology is often reflected in her academic and fictional writing. She ponders life’s burdens that come along with societal pressure, oppression and hypocrisy and her writing uplifts her faith and resolution.
Niamul Islam Sabbir
Profile Niamul Islam Sabbir studies in the BA (Hons) English programme at Green University, Bangladesh, and works as a USA Telemarketing Executive at SkyTech Solutions LTD. Born in Barisal, he has lived in Dhaka for 20 years. He has been a passionate writer since the age of 13 and loves watching sports, particularly football and cricket. In his leisure time he enjoys watching movies to increase his general knowledge. In the future he hopes to study abroad, and to become a university lecturer.
Rajon Mahmood
Rajon Mahmood completed his B.A. (Hons) and Masters (Major in ELT) at the Department of English, Daffodil International University in Dhaka. He has taught English language in renowned English-medium schools in Dhaka, and this experience changed his perspectives on teaching and learning a foreign language. Currently, he is working in a secondary school where he is applying his previous experience to change the way English is taught at secondary level in his local area. His areas of interest include culturally suitable material development for contextual grammar teaching, motivation in ELT, classroom management, and Internet supported ELF learning.
Raju Ahmmed
Mr Raju Ahmmed works as a Lecturer in English at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University, Bangladesh. He teaches communicative English courses to undergraduate students. His research interests are developing second language skills, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TESOL) and Maritime English. Mr Ahmmed completed his B.A. (Hons) and Masters from the Department of English, University of Dhaka. Recently, he has completed working as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at the University of Michigan, USA for 2019-2020 session.
Sadi Mohammad Moin
Sadi Mohammad Moin is an undergraduate student who is currently studying towards a B.Sc at Green University in Dhaka. He has a background in Marketing, IT and Technical Support, and Communication.
Shamima Akter Shanta
Shamima Akter Shanta teaches as a senior lecturer at East West University in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She completed her latest degree of Master in Education Advanced (TESOL) in 2019 from University of Wollongong, Australia. She has also published papers in national and international academic journals. Her research interest includes the field of oral communication and non-native speaker pronunciation, contextual material development, use of technology in teaching English and teacher training.
Shamsi Ara Huda
Ms. Shamsi Ara Huda is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Daffodil International University. She is an EC member of BELTA (Bangladesh English Language Teacher’s Association). She is also a TEA fellow of the US Department of State and has represented Bangladesh in a number of international forums. She is one of the developers of the free language learning app “brimmEng” which is available in Google Play Store. Her research interests include CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning), literature in the language classroom, materials’ design, reflective teaching, and teacher education.
Syeda Ariyana Hussain
Syeda Ariyana Hussain (Arisha) reads in class IV at Marie Curie School. She is passionate about writing poetry. She has been writing poems since 2017. Her other interests include reading story books, writing short stories, thinking about rhythm, creating riddles, painting, photo illustration and travelling.
Tanzia Mobarak Monisha
Profile Tanzia Mobarak Monisha is a teacher, researcher, translator, and writer currently working as a lecturer in the Department of English at Green University of Bangladesh. She has presented her research papers at various international conferences and has authored published research works. Her research interests include comparative literature, minority discourse, postcolonialism, posthumanism, and spatial criticism.