Mapping The Linguistic Landscape of the Cultural Heritage Sites and Tourist Spots in Bangladesh

Abstract

The Language choices in colonized societies are shaped by a combination of local, national, and global forces as well as historical, political, religious and economic factors. This is particularly true with Dhaka, the economic, political and cultural center of Bangladesh with the most densely population, and Cox’s Bazar, the most famous tourist destination with the longest natural unbroken sea beach in the world. Adopting an ethnography, this study attempts to investigate the intersection of language practices and ideologies by examining the language use and language choices displayed in cultural heritage sites and tourism scenic spots both in public and private multilingual signs. Data were collected through linguistic signs represented at the two places and individual interviews with local people. Findings indicate that multidimensionality marks the linguistic landscape at Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar. The multidimensionality is embedded in the complex socio-political, economic and cultural facets. The sociopolitical dimension signifies the officially laid-down monolingual Bangla-oriented policies, which accentuate compulsory use of the national language Bangla standing for Bangladeshi nationalism and identity. English as a post-colonial reproducer of linguistic hegemony presents in various aspects in Bangladesh. The economic dimension manifests in the prominent use of Chinese as a newly emerging foreign language, is acquiring economic capitals for the local people’s educational and employment opportunities. The cultural dimension symbolizes in the employment of Arabic, which is a symbol of Bangladeshi main religion Islamic. The study provides a new context for understanding Bangladeshi multilingual practices and its language planning and management in the context of globalization.