IUB publishes trilingual book documenting Mahale language and culture

Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) has launched Mahale Voices, a research-based book aimed at preserving the endangered Mahale language spoken by the Mahale community in the Rajshahi region.

The book was unveiled on 29 October 2025 at the DMK Lecture Gallery on the IUB campus.

Jointly published by IUB and Adorn Publication, the book is authored by Towhid Bin Muzaffar, Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Modern Languages at IUB, along with writer and researcher Haroonuzzaman and Mahale community member Santosh Hemrom. The launch was organised by IUB's Sasheen Center for Multilingual Excellence (SCMLE) and the Department of English and Modern Languages.

SCMLE works to document and preserve endangered and lesser-used languages of Bangladesh. Mahale Voices features 26 folk stories and 24 poems from the Mahale community, presented in Mahale, Bangla and English. As the Mahale language has no alphabet, the researchers used Roman letters to document it — a task that took over three years to complete.

"Our work ensures that the Mahale language is documented through the voices of its own people," said author Towhid Bin Muzaffar. "These stories and poems reflect lived experiences rather than interpretations by outsiders. By bringing them to light, we make them accessible both nationally and internationally."

Co-author Haroonuzzaman added, "This book is both a celebration and a call to action to nurture, protect and carry forward the Mahale language. Preserving languages is preserving our shared humanity."

From the Mahale community, co-author Santosh Hemrom said, "When we wrote this, we had no alphabet, so we tried to develop one. It is a matter of pride for our people — our first book in three languages for the world to know."

Prof. Dr Bokhtiar Ahmed, UNESCO Chair in Language Ecology and Director of SCMLE, said, "This book builds a bridge among languages. It places Mahale at the centre, with Bangla and English translations alongside. I believe works like this will help the community's younger generation connect their language with widely used ones."

IUB Vice-Chancellor Prof. M Tamim, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. Daniel W Lund, Dr Naureen Rahnuma, Head of IUB's Department of English and Modern Languages, Samar Soren, Member of UNESCO's Global Taskforce, Mahale community leader Sisti Tudu, Dr Mustafa Kamal Akand, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Rajshahi, and Syed Zakir Hussain, Chief Editor and Publisher of Adorn Publication, also spoke at the event.