ULAB Hosts Talk on Garment Workers and Global Activism with Dr. Rebecca Prentice

The Department of Media Studies and Journalism (MSJ) of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) hosted a powerful lecture titled “Representations of Bangladeshi Garment Workers in Transnational Activism: Between the Ordinary and the Exceptional” on 19th April, Saturday, at the university’s permanent campus.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Rebecca Prentice, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Sussex, drew from her extensive ethnographic research in Bangladesh and the Caribbean to shed light on how international activism often centers around catastrophic events—like the Rana Plaza collapse—while overlooking the everyday struggles and resilience of garment workers

Dr. Prentice raised critical questions: Why do compensation mechanisms fail? How do global brands avoid accountability? And how can even well-meaning activism sometimes reinforce damaging stereotypes? Her thought-provoking insights sparked active participation from students, academics, and activists present at the event.

The session was inaugurated by Professor M. Sumon Rahman, Head of Media Studies and Journalism Department. who reflected on his own research experience within Bangladesh’s garment sector. Faculty members, researchers, and anthropologists from various institutions attended, contributing to a vibrant and intellectually rich dialogue.

Organized by the MSJ Department, the session reinforced ULAB’s commitment to critical engagement with issues of labor rights, ethical representation, and global justice.