Bringing Social Change through Art and Activism

It is tough to put Dr Samina Luthfa in a box under a single label as there are so many distinct sides to this Commonwealth alumnus, who obtained her DPhil from the venerable University of Oxford under a Commonwealth scholarship in 2013. On one hand, she is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology in the University of Dhaka, in addition to being an accomplished researcher with publications in the spheres of labour rights and movements, social movement and protest, political ecology, environmental justice and feminism. On the other hand, she is an internationally acclaimed playwright, who is also an actress and choreographer and has been a theatre activist for nearly two decades. As a scriptwriter, her most significant contribution to the world of theatre has been two of her famous stage dramas, “Teerthangkar” and “Khona”. Both the plays have been staged and published and apart from receiving wide acclamation by critics and audiences alike, “Khona” has been translated to be included in the edited volume of “Unforgettable three: Plays of Bangladesh”.

Having studied in the USA as a Fulbright scholar, she had been trying for many years to pursue her higher studies in the UK, and the Commonwealth scholarship finally provided her with the means to join the prestigious University of Oxford, something she feels would not have been financially possible without the award. “I knew that having a degree from a highly acclaimed university like Oxford would create a huge difference as it has its weight”, she stated and post-scholarship she was able to find apparent changes in both her academic and professional life. During her time at Oxford, she utilised her degree and knowledge to work as an Athena Swan Gender Researcher and assessed several Oxford University departments to determine their gender equality status. Her work helped her to overcome her fear of presenting in front of high profile individuals which has been an asset in both her academic and creative fields. The tutoring course she took at Oxford had a direct impact on how she grades papers in her teaching profession, and it changed her evaluation methods which she feels strengthens her position as an effective teacher. Moreover, her experience with her tutors and peers at Oxford taught her the skill of being helpful without doing the student’s work for them.

Dr Luthfa feels strongly for the socio-economic challenges in Bangladesh and advocates for labour rights, environmental justice, women’s rights, etc. through her research and publications. She co-authored a book with two other researchers in 2016 titled “The Vulnerable Empowerment” which looks at the female garment workers in the country and their vulnerabilities. In the course of the research, they surveyed over 1,000 female workers in Dhaka and adjacent areas and found that even though their working conditions are improving, their living standards are very vulnerable and wages are still low. She also contributed a chapter on the devastating Rana Plaza Collapse incident in Dhaka and its aftermath to illustrate the structural vulnerability of this sector. As part of her activism in the garments sector, she will be publishing an article on the Accord Alliance and its impact on the RMG sector of Bangladesh. As an environmental activist, she with two co-editors, have already gotten a proposal for her upcoming book accepted by Lexington USA whereby they will be analysing the case of Bangladesh through the perspective of environmental justice in Bangladesh. She has recently finished writing a chapter for a book to be published by Routledge comparing the Fulbari and Sundarbans movement in Bangladesh and how the media have framed them. Dr Luthfa believes there is still much work left to be done in the garments sector and intends to focus on the rights-based aspects and industrialisation in this sector for her upcoming publications. She has been a passionate advocate of women’s rights and will also be working to critically examine the environmental justice movement in Bangladesh through a feminist lens.

Instead of confining herself to academia, she strives to create awareness about labour and women’s rights, environmental issues and more through her theatre activism as well. She has always found the creative part of her work in theatre and as an activist as highly rewarding, and she is one of the few play-writers in the country working on freedom of expression and rights of women. It is a source of inspiration for her to see people appreciating her work and connecting through her plays. Dr Luthfa is one of the founding members of BotTala – a performance space that antonym with ‘Bengal Opus for Theatre Technology, Aesthetics and Language through Action’. It is an open space for performance that symbolises the origin of rituals and performances in pre-colonial Bengal. Through BotTala she envisions participation from all spheres of cultural activists and citizenry of the global village to engage, encourage, promote and support a new era in theatre activism and towards creating a new phase of cultural solidarity. She has been recognised for her contribution to the theatre of Bangladesh and was awarded the Srijonsheel Natya Tarun Tanusree Padak 2010 (Creative Youth of Theatre – Tanusree Award 2010). She has also received the Mohila Parishad Shommanona 2009, Md. Zakaria Padak 2013 and SM Solayman Pronodona 2014 (SM Solayman Motivational Award 2014) for her theatrical activities. It is worth noting that she is also a member of the Oxford Theatre Guild and Women’s Playwright International.

Dr Luthfa hopes to connect with more people and to engage positively with the many challenges in our society through her plays and her publications. She believes it is essential to respect difference and diversity above all else and encourages future Commonwealth scholars to improve their language skills and to connect with their host culture and surroundings while in the UK. She also advises Sociology scholars to join summer schools in the UK to improve their quantitative expertise which would provide them with an edge over others.

#source:British Council