Interface of Political Opportunism and Islamic Extremism in Bangladesh: Rhetorical Identification in Government Response

Abstract

Critical approaches to study Bangladesh's political development have been widespread, especially in the fields of political science and international relations. What is missing from the existing critical account is an examination of the language that Bangladesh's political leaders use as symbolic means. This paper will critically analyze a rhetorical event, Address to the Nation by Begum Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, at the Fourth Anniversary of the former Alliance Government at Dhaka, Bangladesh on October 10, 2005. The purpose is to investigate the responses of the then Bangladesh government to growing Islamic militancy in the country. Kenneth Burke's concept of identification will be used to this end.

Keywords:

• Bangladesh Government
• Islamic Extremism
• Kenneth Burke
• Rhetorical Identification
• Terrorism

An earlier version of this paper received the Top Student Paper Award in the Rhetoric and Public Address Division of Southern States Communication Association Annual Convention in 2007. The author acknowledges the valuable support of Dr. Benjamin Bates, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Ohio University, in writing this paper. She also thanks the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions for improving the paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rukhsana Ahmed

Rukhsana Ahmed (PhD, University of Ottawa) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication, University of Ottawa.