Call for Book Chapters Contributions for an Edited Volume

Mediated Culture and Politics: Mapping the Thriving Digital Mediascape in Bangladesh. 

The rise of social media platforms and the rapid proliferation of emerging technologies have fundamentally transformed how we engage in digital practices, reshaping digital society across various facets of our lives (Katzenbach & Bächle, 2019). Recent studies have highlighted the multifaceted nature of digital culture in Bangladesh, including the politics of digitalization (Aziz, 2021), the evolution of the television industry (Rahman, 2020; Roy, 2020), the cultural influence of Bollywood (Rahman, 2020), and the interplay between politics and digital public spaces (Kuttig & Suykens, 2020). While much of the scholarship on Digital Bangladesh has focused on issues of digital (in)security and surveillance under Hasina's authoritarian regime, recent social and political movements—such as the 2018 road safety movement and the July 2024 Uprising—underscore the pivotal role of digital and social media in mobilizing citizens, fostering youth engagement, and advancing social justice. These movements exemplify the profound impact of mediated culture and digital transformation in shaping contemporary Bangladeshi society. Despite these significant developments, there remains a critical gap in understanding the paradoxical and interconnected dynamics of digital engagement in Bangladesh. 

Scope and Themes

This volume aims to offer a comprehensive, interdisciplinary analysis of a nuanced understanding of how digital transformation is reshaping Bangladesh's sociocultural, political, and economic landscapes. How do different users, communities, and institutions navigate, adapt to, and shape digitally mediated communication and practices? What are the broader sociocultural, political, and economic implications of these transformations? Addressing these questions, it aims to explore the complex interplay between media, culture, and society and to bring fresh insights into the evolving mediascape (Shoesmith & Genilo, 2013) and digital transformation in  Bangladesh. 

We invite scholars from diverse disciplines to contribute chapters that include theoretical, empirical, and case-study-based contributions that critically engage with these themes; 

Key Themes  (not limited to)

Mediated Culture (Digital culture and emerging technologies) 

• The role of digital media and emerging technologies (e.g., AI, bots, algorithmic bias and  inequality) in shaping contemporary media practices

• Cyberbullying, privacy, and misinformation  

• Digital media and health (e.g., technologies in mental health and well-being)

• Digital economy and financial technologies (e.g., gig economy, mobile commerce, digital entrepreneurship)

• News media and entertainment (e.g., the role of social media, OTT platforms)

• Youth culture and social media 

• Film, narrative identity and representation 

• Bangladeshi migrants, and diaspora in negotiating transnational flows of digital media 

 Digital Inclusion and Participation (Media in the Margins)

• Digital access, inequalities, divide, and digital literacy 

• ICT for Development (ICT4D), SDGs 

• Social change, community and media 

• E-governance and its impact on public services and user engagement

• Digital engagement/empowerment of marginalized communities (e.g., Rohingya refugees, urban poor, and rural populations.) 

• Gender, class, and power dynamics in digital spaces

Digital activism and citizenship (e.g., The July Uprising)

• The role of digital and social media in facilitating youth activism, public opinion, and civic engagement. 

• Creative arts, graffiti, and music as a catalyst for politics, social change, and democracy, shaping political discourse.

Digital Governance, Policy & Repression:

• Digital security, surveillance, and repression 

• News media and press control and freedom of expression

Abstract submission: 

Interested authors should submit a brief abstract (300-400 words) in Microsoft WORD, labelling the file with the lead authors' name and running head (e.g., XYZ_Cyberbullying) format to: info.reconnectbd@gmail.com  outlining research questions, gaps/significance, theoretical framework, methodology, (findings), and contribution (along with brief authors’ details and corresponding email). 

Proposed timeline: 

We are at proposal submission stage with a well-regarded and renowned academic publisher, with an intended final submission in Nov 2025.

• Submission of initial chapter abstracts: 25 February 2025

• Outcome of abstract submission to authors: 30 March 2025 

• Submitting the proposal to the publisher: July-Aug 2025 

• Final draft of chapter submission (4,500-6,000 words including ref and notes) by Aug 2025

• Peer review of full chapters and final decision of acceptance: Sep 2025 

• Collaborative workshop with chapter authors (online): Nov 2025

• Revised and full submission: Oct-Nov 2025 

• Submission of full volume to publisher: Dec 2025

Reference: 

• Aziz, A. (2021). Digital pitfalls: The politics of digitalization in Bangladesh. Communication, Culture and Critique, 14(3), 529-533.

• Kuttig, J., & Suykens, B. (2020). How to Be Visible in Student Politics: Performativity and the Digital Public Space in Bangladesh. The Journal of Asian Studies, 79(3), 707–738.

• Katzenbach, C., & Bächle, T. C. (2019). Defining concepts of the digital society. Internet Policy Review, 8(4).

• Rahman, A. (2020). The politico-commercial nexus and its implications for television industries in Bangladesh and South Asia. Media, Culture & Society, 42(7-8), 1153-1174

• Rahman, H. (2020). Consuming Cultural Hegemony: Bollywood in Bangladesh. Springer.

• Roy, R. K. (2020). Television in Bangladesh: News and Audiences. Routledge. 

• Shoesmith, B. & Genilo, J.W. (2013). Bangladesh’s Changing Mediascape: From State Control to Market Forces. Intellect.

For inquiries: Please contact the editor(s)

Dr. Abdul Aziz is a Lecturer in Media and Communication Studies at the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Monash University Malaysia. He completed PhD from the Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC) and School of Communication at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Brisbane. Dr. Aziz’s interdisciplinary research interests include the everyday digital media practices among migrant and marginalised communities, particularly at the crossroads of media, migration, culture, religion, and society. His research articles have appeared in top-quality Q1 journals, including New Media & Society; Media Culture & Society; Technology in Society; International Journal of Communication; Policy & Internet; Communication, Culture and Critique; Contemporary South Asia; Asiascape: Digital Asia, and among others. Email: a.aziz@monash.edu