Feminist Scholar · Bangladesh

Dr. Rezwana KarimSnigdha

Professor of Anthropology, Jahangirnagar University · PhD, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.

World Bank / UGC HEAT Grant — USD 80,000 · 2025 · Top 10.2% Nationally
Gender & SexualityFeminist AnthropologyBody & Identity PoliticsMasculinity StudiesMedical AnthropologyUrban AnthropologyClimate and GenderHealth Sociology
Dr. Rezwana Karim Snigdha, feminist anthropologist
15+ yrs fieldwork
নারীসত্তার অন্বেষণে In Search of Women's Self · 2023
Ethnographic explorations at the threshold of gender, body, and sexuality.
Dr. Rezwana Karim Snigdha
About

Dr. Rezwana Karim Snigdha is a feminist scholar, gender expert, and public intellectual whose work contributes to critical conversations on gender, sexuality, embodiment, and social justice in Bangladesh and beyond.

With over fifteen years of experience in teaching, ethnographic research, training, and advocacy, she is currently a Professor of Anthropology at Jahangirnagar University. She earned her PhD in Social Sciences from Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand, in 2021. Her doctoral research, Beyond Binaries: An Ethnographic Study of Hijra in Dhaka, Bangladesh, offers a nuanced and ethnographically grounded exploration of gender diversity, identity, and belonging in South Asia.

While widely recognized for her pioneering work on gender and sexuality, her scholarship extends across gender justice, body politics, reproductive health, medical anthropology, sociology of health, climate vulnerability, and the everyday experiences of marginalized populations.

Dr. Snigdha is actively engaged with several national and international academic, research, and policy networks, including the Sex Tech Lab at The New School, New York; the World Anthropology Union (WAU); the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES); the Canada–Bangladesh Social Justice & Research Alliance; the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Foundation; and the Kapaeeng Foundation. She also serves on the Trustee Board of the National Child Welfare Trust and the Research Committee of the National Youth Development Institute, reflecting her commitment to connecting scholarship with public service and social transformation.

Her academic engagement also includes serving as an international reviewer for leading journals, including the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (JRAI), Asian Women, the Journal of Homosexuality, and Contemporary South Asia.

Beyond academia, Dr. Snigdha is a prominent public voice on gender, democracy, culture, and social change. As a frequent television commentator, keynote speaker, and public intellectual, she brings anthropological perspectives to wider audiences, connecting rigorous scholarship with public debate, policy engagement, and advocacy for a more inclusive and equitable society.

Current roles & affiliations

  • Professor of AnthropologyJahangirnagar University
  • Associate Professor (Part-time)North South University
  • Hall ProvostBegum Sufia Kamal Hall, JU
  • Member, The Sex Tech LabThe New School, New York
  • International Academic CoordinatorIMRF Bangladesh
  • Trustee Board MemberNational Child Welfare Trust
  • FacilitatorCanada-Bangladesh Social Justice and Research Alliance
  • Student CoordinatorThe Duke of Edinburgh's Award Leader Foundation, Bangladesh.
  • International ReviewerJ. Royal Anthropological Institute Asian Women (SSCI & Scopus indexed)
  • International ReviewerJournal of Homosexuality Contemporary South Asia
Research

Where my questions live

A decade and a half of fieldwork across the entanglements of gender, health, media, and the body in Bangladesh and beyond.

Feminist Anthropology

Exploring gendered inequalities, agency, and resistance across everyday life, institutions, and systems of power.

Hijra & Transgender Studies

Ethnographic explorations of gender diversity, embodied agency, social recognition, and the politics of citizenship and belonging.

Body, Sexuality and Identity Politics

Ethnographic explorations of bodies, sexuality, and identity, with attention to agency, power, intimacy, and social norms.

Medical Anthropology

Exploring how health, healing, and well-being are shaped by culture, power, inequality, and the politics of care.

Climate Justice & Gendered Vulnerability

Exploring the intersections of climate change, gendered vulnerability, and social justice through feminist and ethnographic perspectives on adaptation, resilience, and lived experience.

Post-Truth Media

Examining the production, circulation, and contestation of truth, knowledge, and public narratives in contemporary media landscapes.

Urban Anthropology

Exploring city life, class, aspiration, and the making of middle-class selves in rapidly transforming urban landscapes.

Sexual & Reproductive Health

Examining sexual and reproductive health through the lenses of medical anthropology, health sociology, and gender justice.

Teaching

In the classroom

With over fifteen years of teaching experience at Jahangirnagar University, complemented by part-time teaching at North South University and academic experience in New Zealand, Dr. Snigdha has taught and mentored students across anthropology, gender and sexuality studies, health, politics, and social change. She also supervises MSS and MPhil research, with a particular focus on gender, sexuality, medical anthropology, and marginalized communities.

Medical Anthropology

Jahangirnagar University

Department of Anthropology

Body and Sexuality

Jahangirnagar University

Department of Anthropology

Selected Ethnographic Texts

Jahangirnagar University

Department of Anthropology

Gender Issues

Jahangirnagar University

Department of Anthropology

Applied Anthropology

Jahangirnagar University

Department of Anthropology

Founders of Modern Social Thought

Jahangirnagar University

Department of Anthropology

Other Cultures

Jahangirnagar University

Department of Anthropology

Political Power and Institutions

Jahangirnagar University

Department of Anthropology

Urban Anthropology

Jahangirnagar University

Department of Anthropology

Gender Sensitivity and Human Services

University of Canterbury, New Zealand

School of Language, Social and Political Sciences

Business in Context

Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

Department of Management

Applied Media Ethics

Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

Department of Culture and Society

Introduction to Anthropology

North South University, Bangladesh

Introduction to Sociology

North South University, Bangladesh

From Myth to Artificial Intelligence

Jahangirnagar University

Department of English

Cultural Anthropology

Jahangirnagar University

Department of English

Culture, Psychology and Politics

Jahangirnagar University

Department of English

Anthropology and Literature

Jahangirnagar University

Department of Bangla

Publications

Selected writing

Books, chapters, and peer-reviewed articles. Filter by type.

2023

নারীসত্তার অন্বেষণে — In Search of Women's Self: An Ethnographic Study of Middle-Class Women in Dhaka

Snigdha, R. K. · Dhaka: Oitijhya · 320+ Google Scholar citations

BOOK
2022

An Analysis of the Gender Representation of Post-War Sculptures at Public Universities in Dhaka

In A. Hussain (Ed.), Contemporary Issues in Social Science (pp. 93–107) · Jahangirnagar University

BOOK CHAPTER
2021

My Entirety

In P. Mandal et al. (Eds.), My City, My Home (pp. 195–198) · Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage

BOOK CHAPTER
2025

Fractured Truth Between the Border and Broadcast: The Post-Truth Gaze of Indian Media on Bangladeshi Hindus After the July Uprising

Snigdha, R. K., & Zohra, F. T. · The Jahangirnagar University Review: Part II: Social Science, 49(1). Faculty of Social Sciences, Jahangirnagar University.

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2023

Locating Hijra and Transgender in Bangladeshi Health Discourse: A Critical Analysis

Snigdha, R. K. · Jahangirnagar University Review, 47(1)

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2023

Exploring the Religious Practices of Hijra in Bangladesh

Snigdha, R. K. · Jahangirnagar University Review, 47(2)

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2022

Rethinking Women's Self: A Critical Analysis

Snigdha, R. K. · Jahangirnagar University Review, 46(1)

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2019

An Obscure Perception of Transgender in Islam: A Case of Hijra in Bangladesh

Snigdha, R. K. · Global Journal of Human-Social Science Research, 19(5), 29–36. doi:10.34257/GJHSSCVOL19IS5PG29

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2017

বাস্তব ও অতিবাস্তবের উপাখ্যান, মৃত্যু—একটি পর্যালোচনা (Narratives of the Real and the Surreal: A Review of Death))

Snigdha, R. K. · বাংলা একাডেমি পত্রিকা, 58(3–4), 108–118 · in Bengali

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2016

"অস্পৃশ্য' ও 'অদৃশ্য' এক লিঙ্গীয় সম্পর্কের পাঠ: প্রসঙ্গ নারী সমকামিতা " ("The 'Untouchable' and the 'Invisible': A Reading of Gendered Intimacies in the Context of Female Homosexuality)

Snigdha, R. K., & Akhtar, S. · সমাজবিজ্ঞান সমীক্ষা, 2, 43–50 · in Bengali

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2015

চলচ্চিত্রে পটভূমি ও প্রান্তিকতার নয়া উপাখ্যান: প্রেক্ষিত কমন জেন্ডার—দ্য ফিল্ম ("New Narratives of Marginality and the Margins in Cinema: A Study of Common Gender: The Film")

Snigdha, R. K. · বাংলাদেশ ফিল্ম আর্কাইভ জার্নাল, 8, 100–106 · in Bengali

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2014

মুক্তিযুদ্ধভিত্তিক ভাস্কর্যে নারীর পরিবেশন ও ইতিহাস নির্মাণের লিঙ্গীয় রাজনীতি

Snigdha, R. K. · ইতিহাস একাডেমি ঢাকা, 161–166. ISSN: 1995-1000 · in Bengali

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2014

"মাগী মাইনষের কথা শোনাও যা, না শোনাও তা"—ভাষার লিঙ্গীয় অসমতার একটি পাঠ [নারীর কি কোনো ভাষা আছে? বাংলা ভাষায় লিঙ্গভিত্তিক বৈষম্যের একটি অধ্যয়ন

Snigdha, R. K. (2014). Social Science Review: Journal of Social Science Faculty, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Vol. 1, 103–111

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2013

‘ঢাকাই হাই কালচার’: একটি তাত্ত্বিক পর্যালোচনা

Snigdha, R. K. নৃবিজ্ঞান পত্রিকা, 18, 97–109. নৃবিজ্ঞান বিভাগ, জাহাঙ্গীরনগর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়. ISSN: 1680-0621

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2013

নারীসত্তা নির্মাণে 'এজেন্সি' ও সামাজিক পুজির ধারণায়ন ("Constructing Female Agency: Conceptualizing Agency and Social Capital"

Snigdha, R. K. নৃবিজ্ঞান পত্রিকা, 17, 61–75. ISSN: 1680-0621. Jahangirnagar University.

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2010

সত্তার ধারণায়ন: একটি তাত্ত্বিক বিশ্লেষণ

Snigdha, R. K. নৃবিজ্ঞান পত্রিকা, 15, 11–24. ISSN: 1680-0621

JOURNAL ARTICLE
2025

The Socio-cultural Perspective of Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health in Coastal Bangladesh: An Ethnographic Observation.

Snigdha, R. K. World Anthropological Union (WAU) Congress 2025, Antigua, Guatemala.

CONFERENCE PROCEDINGS
2025

Salty Waters, Silent Struggles: An Ethnographic Study of Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women in Coastal Bangladesh

Snigdha, R. K. (Sub-Project Manager, Competitively Selected), UGC–World Bank HEAT Project

PROJECT PRESENTATION
2024

Exploring the Perception of Masculinities: A Comparative Study of Nonbinary and Cisgender Individuals.

Snigdha, R. K. World Anthropological Union (WAU) Congress 2024, Johannesburg, South Africa.

CONFERENCE PROCEDINGS
2023

Access to Health Care is a Daydream for Us': The Politics of Medicalization of Hijra in Bangladesh.

Snigdha, R. K. 19th IUAES-WAU World Anthropology Congress 2023, Delhi, India.

CONFERENCE PROCEDINGS
2022

The Visibility of the Invisible During the COVID Pandemic: An Anthropological Observation.

Snigdha, R. K. ASAA Conference 2022 — Social Justice in Pandemic Times, Monash University, Australia.

CONFERENCE PROCEDINGS
2020

Unzipping Your Pants: Dehumanization of Hijra in Contemporary Bangladesh.

Snigdha, R. K. New Zealand South Asian Center (NZAC), University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

CONFERENCE PROCEDINGS
2016

Exploring Hijra in Bangladesh: A Critical Ethnographic Study.

Snigdha, R. K. Gender and Diversity Research Seminar, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.

CONFERENCE PROCEDINGS
2016

The Romance of Marginalization: Relocating the Hijra in Bangladesh. Critical Engagement in Anthropological Landscape in Bangladesh

Snigdha, R. K. Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet.

CONFERENCE PROCEDINGS
2015

Questioning Transgender Bodies: Constructions and Reconstructions of the Transsexual 'Other' in Bangladesh.

Snigdha, R. K. AUT Doctoral Conference, School of Public Health and Psychosocial Studies, Auckland, New Zealand.

CONFERENCE PROCEDINGS
2014

A Critical Study of Gender Representations in Post-War Public Sculptures of Dhaka City.

Snigdha, R. K. 10th International Conference on History and Culture, Bangladesh History Academy, Dhaka.

CONFERENCE PROCEDINGS
2013

The Perception of Death: A Critical Analysis.

Snigdha, R. K. Anthropology: Critical Juncture between Theory and Practice, Comilla University / HEQP, Comilla, Bangladesh.

CONFERENCE PROCEDINGS
Talks & Keynotes

On stage & in conversation

Recent invited lectures, keynotes, and conference presentations across three continents.

2026. Memorial Lecture, 115th Birth Anniversary of Poet Sufia Kamal

নারীর প্রতি বিরাজমান ঘৃণা, বিদ্বেষ ও সহিংসতা নিরসনে সুফিয়া কামালের আলোয় পথচলা

Memorial Lecture delivered on the occasion of the 115th Birth Anniversary of Poet Sufia Kamal

2026. Action Aid Bangladesh

নারীর রাজনৈতিক অংশগ্রহণ, প্রতিনিধিত্ব ও নেতৃত্ব বিকাশ

Keynote Speaker, National Symposium, ActionAid Bangladesh (GRIP Project)

April 2026 · University of Iowa

The Future of Democracy in Post-Election Bangladesh

Invited Virtual Lecture, International Programs

2025 · Canadian University of Bangladesh

Who Owns Female Bodies?

Invited Talk on Body Politics, Sexuality, and Women’s Rights

2025. Women's History Conclave, Kolkata, India

Rape and the Politics of Power

Keynote Address on Sexual Violence, Rape, and Power

2023. Department of Sociology, South Asian University, India

The Ungoverned Sex in the Governed Body: Hijra in Bangladesh

Invited Lecture on Gender Diversity and State Governance

2023. Centre for Women's Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

The Governed Body, Ungoverned Sex and Gender Performativity: A Case of Hijra in Bangladesh

Invited Academic Lecture on Gender Performativity

2022. University of Delhi, India

The Politics of Clothing and Stylizing to Confirm Non-Binary Gender Performativity: A Case of Hijra in Bangladesh

Invited Lecture on Clothing, Identity, and Gender Performativity

2018 · বোধিচিত্ত

জুডিথ বাটলারের চিন্তায় শরীর ও লিঙ্গ

Lecture on Judith Butler’s Theories of Body and Gender

2021. Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

AUT 3 Minute Thesis Competition — Audience Choice Award

2021 Virtual AUT 3MT Competition Doctoral Finals – Rezwana Karim Snigdha

Media & Public Engagement

In the public conversation

Interviews, features, keynotes, and broadcast commentary translating ethnographic research into public debate.

Prothom Alo2026

নারীর চরিত্রহনন যেভাবে রাজনৈতিক কৌশল হয়ে ওঠে

Editorial
Samakal2026

রাজনীতিতে নারী

Column
The Deltagram2026

They know it's not religious'

Interview
Charcha2026

ডয়চে ভেলের বিশ্লেষণ-ধর্ম কি আবারও বাংলা ভাগ করছে?

Interview
Deutsche Welle (DW)2025

Religion steers Bengal politics in Bangladesh, India — again

Interview
Prothom Alo2026

প্রদর্শনীর চর্চা যেভাবে আমাদের পড়ালেখা ধ্বংস করছে

Column
Jugantor2026

নারী অনুপস্থিত নয়, তবে তার ক্ষমতা সীমাবদ্ধ

Column
Prothom Alo2026

ছেলেরা যৌন সহিংসতার শিকার হলে আমরা কেন নীরব থাকি

Column
Samakal2026

ধর্ষণ: ভয় ও ক্ষমতার ভাষা

Column
Prothom Alo2026

‘শিক্ষিকা’ একটি সম্বোধন নাকি সীমারেখা

Column
Kaler Kantho2026

দুর্ঘটনা নয়, অবহেলার পুনরাবৃত্তি : আমরা কি সত্যিই মানুষের জীবনকে মূল্য দিই?

Column
Ajker Patrika2025

অসময়েই শত্রু-মিত্র, মীরজাফর ও বিশ্বাসঘাতককে চেনা যায়

Column
Samakal2025

ন্যায্যতা নয়, চাই সহিংসতা প্রতিরোধের বাস্তব পদক্ষেপ

Column
Business Standard2025

দ্বিগুণ দায়িত্ব, সীমিত স্বাধীনতা: কর্মক্ষেত্র ও সংসারে চাপের মুখে নারী পোশাক শ্রমিকরা

Column
Deutsche Welle (DW)2025

তারা নিজেরাই যে ফ্যাসিস্ট তা বুঝতে পারেন না

Interview
Deutsche Welle (DW)2025

এইভাবে দখল, চাঁদাবাজি চললে আমরা কী জুলাই উদযাপন করছি

Interview
Dhaka Tribue2025

‘ধর্ষণ প্রতিরোধে পারিবারিক-সামাজিক-রাজনৈতিক ও ধর্মীয় বয়ানকে শক্তিশালী করতে হবে’

Column
BBC News Bangla2025

সরকারের আনুকূল্য না পেলেও কি দাঁড়াতে পারবে এনসিপি?

Commentary
BBC News Bangla2025

বিমানবন্দরে নজিরবিহীন আগুন কতটা পোড়াবে বাংলাদেশকে? | জুলাই সনদ বিতর্কের প্রভাব কী হবে?

Commentary
BBC News Bangla2025

ঢাকায় হঠাৎ ককটেল বিস্ফোরণ বেড়েছে? | বিমান দুর্ঘটনার প্রতিবেদন নিয়ে প্রশ্ন

Commentary
BBC News Bangla2026

বিএনপি-জামায়াতের নারী কর্মীরা কীভাবে প্রচারণা চালাচ্ছে? | ধর্মীয় বিভাজন কার হাতিয়ার?

Commentary
SATV2025

It’s a matter of pride for us that a Muslim has been represented in the Progressive

Commentary
SATV2025

Political and Socioeconomic Analysis on Bangladesh and Global Affairs

Commentary
Onne Moncho2026

ধর্ষণের পর কেন বাড়ছে হত্যাকাণ্ড?

Expert Interview
বাক্Show2026

Talk on Current Affairs, Sexual Violence, Body politica, Religion, and Power

Interview
Current Projects

Research in motion

2025 – 2028 · World Bank & UGC Funded research

Salty Waters, Silent Struggles: An Ethnographic Study of Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women in Coastal Bangladesh

An ethnographic study exploring the sexual and reproductive health experiences of women in the salinity-stressed coastal belt of Bangladesh, focusing on how climate vulnerability, social norms, structural barriers, and local coping mechanisms shape their health, agency, and reproductive choices.

Sub-Project Manager
2025 · Faculty of Social Sciences, Jahangirnagar University · Research Project

The Talking Bodies: An Analysis of Body Performativity in July Movement 2024 in Dhaka, Bangladesh

An interdisciplinary research project examining body politics, protest, and performativity during the July 2024 Movement in Dhaka, exploring how activists, artists, and gender-diverse participants used embodied practices, visual expression, and public space as forms of resistance and political expression.

Project Director
2024 · Academic Research Project

Confronting the Unseen: Illuminating the Sociocultural Facets of Marital Rape in the Context of Dhaka, Bangladesh

An academic research project examining the sociocultural construction, normalization, and silencing of marital rape in urban Bangladesh, with a focus on how patriarchal norms, sexuality, consent, cultural taboos, and legal frameworks shape women’s experiences within marriage.

Lead Researcher
2024. BLAST. Applied Research Project

Developing Youth Groups in Bangladesh to Support Peers at Risk of Early Marriage

An applied research project examining the role of youth groups in supporting peers at risk of early marriage across four districts in Bangladesh, with a focus on the structural, social, and behavioral drivers of early marriage; intervention gaps; and the potential of youth-led approaches to strengthen prevention, policy advocacy, and program design.

Qualitative Research Lead
2023 · Development Research Initiatives (dRi) · Programme Evaluation

Mid-Term Review of Women's Voice and Leadership (WVL) Programme

A mid-term evaluation of the Women’s Voice and Leadership Programme assessing progress against its Theory of Change, with a focus on the experiences of women-led organizations, youth leaders, and implementing partners, and the structural factors shaping programme outcomes and women’s leadership.

Lead Evaluator (Qualitative Lead)
2023 · Plan International Bangladesh · Programme Evaluation

Evaluation of the Joint Action for Nutrition Outcome (JANO) Project

An evaluation of the Joint Action for Nutrition Outcome (JANO) Project assessing the effectiveness of multi-sectoral nutrition governance and behaviour change interventions in Rangpur and Nilphamari, with a focus on implementation challenges, sustainability risks, and opportunities for strengthening and scaling integrated social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) and nutrition governance models.

Qualitative Research & Evaluation Consultant
2023–2024 · Inclusive Resilience to Climate Change Vulnerability and Culture-Sensitive Adaptation Pathways. Academic Research Project

Traditional Ecological Knowledge to Fight Climate-Induced Disasters: Lessons Learned from the Rakhine Community in the Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

An academic research project exploring how the Rakhine community in the coastal areas of Bangladesh uses traditional ecological knowledge to cope with climate-induced disasters, with a focus on culturally grounded resilience strategies, community-based adaptation practices, and the integration of indigenous knowledge into inclusive climate resilience policies and practices.

Project Director
2022–2023 · Social Science Faculty, Jahangirnagar University · Academic Research Project

Locating Toxic Masculinity in Bangladesh: A Discourse Analysis

An academic research project examining how toxic masculinity is constructed and reproduced through media, political rhetoric, institutional language, and public discourse in Bangladesh, with a focus on the gendered norms, power relations, and dominant narratives that shape masculinities and their implications for gender-transformative education and advocacy.

Project Director
2022–2023 · University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) · Academic Research Project

Exploring the Meaning of 'Man': An Ethnographic Study of Masculinities in Dhaka City

An ethnographic research project examining the social construction of masculinities across class and generational lines in Dhaka, with a focus on how men from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds negotiate gendered expectations, vulnerability, identity, and power in everyday life.

Project Director
2014–2015 · Social Science Faculty, Jahangirnagar University · Academic Research Project

The Calibration of Ritual, Performance, and Drama: An Anthropological Observation of Charok Worship

An ethnographic research project examining Charok worship as a ritual practice embedded in Bangladesh’s syncretic religious and cultural traditions, with a focus on ritual performances, embodied practices, symbolic acts, and community participation, and their intersections with devotion, collective identity, memory, and resilience.

Project Director
2013–2014 · University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) · Academic Research Project

Socio-Cultural Discourse of Crime in Bangladesh: An Anthropological Study

An anthropological research project examining how crime is socially constructed, understood, narrated, and managed across different cultural contexts in Bangladesh, with a focus on moral negotiations surrounding crime, punishment, and justice, as well as alternative justice systems, informal mediation, and community-based accountability mechanisms.

Project Director
2012–2013 · Social Science Faculty, Jahangirnagar University · Academic Research Project

Deconstructing the Perception of 'Beauty': A Gender Analysis

An academic research project examining how dominant beauty ideals are socially and culturally constructed, internalized, negotiated, and resisted by women in urban Bangladesh, with a focus on how media, advertising, and social discourses shape body politics, self-perception, practices of body discipline, and everyday forms of resistance.

Project Director
2010–2011 · Social Science Faculty, Jahangirnagar University · Academic Research Project

The Politics of Death: Theory and Practice in Anthropology

An anthropological research project examining the cultural practices, symbolic meanings, and political dimensions of death in Bangladeshi society, with a focus on how mourning, funerary practices, memorialization, and end-of-life care intersect with power, memory, community relations, and spiritual continuity.

Project Director
2009–2010 · University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) · Academic Research Project

Is It Addiction or the Necessity of Survival? The Life of the Children Who Were Involved with Waste Management in Dhaka City

An academic research project exploring the survival strategies, substance use, and socioeconomic realities of street-involved children working in Dhaka’s waste management sector, with a focus on how coping mechanisms, family separation, social vulnerability, and informal labour networks shape their everyday lives and access to protection, education, and support services.

Project Director
Recognition & Service

Honours, peer review & leadership

Beyond research and teaching — a record of national and international recognition, scholarly gatekeeping, and institutional leadership.

Grants & Awards

  • World Bank / UGC HEAT GrantUSD 80,000 · 2025 · top 10.2% nationally
  • AUT 3 Minute Thesis CompetitionAudience Choice Award · 2021
  • AUT Social Sciences Research Awards2015 & 2016

Peer Review Journal

  • Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (JRAI), UKReviewer. JRAI
  • Research Institute of Asian Women, South KoreaReviewer. (SSCI & Scopus indexed)
  • Journal of HomosexualityReviewer. Taylor & Francis
  • Journal of Contemporary South AsiaReviewer. Routledge

Leadership & Service

  • Hall ProvostBegum Sufia Kamal Hall · 2025–Present
  • Trustee Board MemberNational Child Welfare Trust · 2024–Present
  • ReviewerNational Youth Development Institute · 2024–Present
  • International CoordinatorIMRF Bangladesh
  • Student Adviser, Department of AnthropologyJahangirnagar University. 2024 – Present
  • Election Committee Member, JUCSUJahangirnagar University. 2024 – 2025
  • Deputy Director, Teacher-Student Centre (TSC)Jahangirnagar University. 2024 – 2025

Memberships

  • World Anthropology Union (WAU)
  • IUAESInternational Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES)
  • Sex Tech LabThe New School, New York
  • Canada–Bangladesh Social Justice Alliance
  • Kapaeeng Foundation
  • IMRF Bangladesh
  • Duke of Edinburgh's Award Leader Foundation
  • The World School of Bangladesh
Fieldwork & Engagement

A research life on the map

  • SatkhiraSalty Waters, Silent Struggles: An Ethnographic Study of Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women in Coastal Bangladesh
  • BagerhatSalty Waters, Silent Struggles: An Ethnographic Study of Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women in Coastal Bangladesh
  • BorgunaSalty Waters, Silent Struggles: An Ethnographic Study of Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women in Coastal Bangladesh
  • Dhaka, BangladeshEthnography & urban fieldwork
  • Auckland, New ZealandPhD · Auckland University of Technology
  • New Delhi, IndiaJNU & South Asian University talks
  • New York, USASex Tech Lab, The New School
  • Iowa, USAUniversity of Iowa invited lecture
Training

Training & Capacity Building

Drawing on extensive academic and professional expertise, Dr. Snigdha leads training and capacity-building programmes for government officials, development practitioners, academics, students, youth, and civil society actors, with a focus on gender equality, human rights, social inclusion, and rights-based policy and practice.

Empowering Rights: Women and Child Protection Training

Gender Expert & Lead Trainer

Regional Public Administration Training Centre (RPATC)

Led training as a gender expert and trainer for government officials and development practitioners, focusing on human rights frameworks, national legal instruments, gender-based violence, child protection, referral mechanisms, and rights-based governance.

Meeting the SDGs: Poverty Reduction, Health, Education, and Gender Equality

Gender Expert & Lead Trainer

Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC)

Delivered specialized training as a gender expert and trainer for mid- to senior-level government officers, policy planners, and administrators, focusing on the interconnections among SDGs 1, 3, 4, and 5; gender-responsive budgeting; inclusive policy planning; equity in service delivery; and climate resilience.

Feminism: Theoretical Waves and Local Transformations

Gender Expert & Lead Trainer

Pragroshor

Facilitated the workshop as a gender expert and trainer for university students, faculty members, and gender activists, covering feminist theoretical waves, intersectionality, digital activism, and feminist movements in Bangladesh.

Youth Empowerment Training

Gender Expert & Lead Trainer

Pragroshor

Conducted training as a gender expert and trainer for schoolchildren, adolescents, youth, feminists, and gender-rights actors, focusing on youth empowerment, gender equality, rights awareness, and meaningful youth engagement.

Training on Gender and Development

Gender Expert & Lead Trainer

Development Research Initiative (dRi)

Delivered training as a gender expert and trainer for development professionals and NGO practitioners, focusing on gender equality, intersectional analysis, rights-based approaches, and the integration of feminist perspectives into program design and policy advocacy.

Contact

Let's start a conversation

For collaborations, supervision, talks, or media on gender, anthropology, and Bangladesh.

rezwana@juniv.edu
  • Department of Anthropology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342, Bangladesh
  • +880 1780 758 064
  • rezwana@juniv.edu