On 2 September 2025, an international seminar titled “Islam and Muslim Women’s Everyday Peace: A Desert Vision for the Bangladesh Delta”, jointly organized by the Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (CIID) amd the Department of World Religions and Culture in colleboration with Dacca Institute of Research and Analytics (DAIRA), at the Dr. Sakina Azhar Seminar Room, the event featured a keynote address by Professor Dr. Yasmin Saikia of Arizona State University, USA. Drawing on her research and personal reflections, Professor Saikia offered a compelling vision of “People’s Peace” rooted in Islamic ethics and the everyday moral labor of Muslim women. Her talk bridged the metaphorical landscapes of the Sonoran desert and the Bengal delta, emphasizing that peace is not imposed from above but cultivated through care, patience, and relational ethics.
Dr. Shafi Md. Mostofa, Associate Professor at the Department of World Religions and Culture, responded as discussant, highlighting the keynote’s intellectual depth while offering reflections on structural invisibility, religious pluralism, and ethical fidelity in Bangladesh’s context. The seminar was graced by Professor Dr. Mohammad Siddikur Rahman Khan, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, as Chief Guest, and presided over by Professor Dr. Md. Abu Sayem, Chairman of the Department. Moderation was led by Professor Dr. Mohammad Elius, Director of the Centre, ensuring a dynamic and inclusive dialogue. The event concluded with an engaging discussion, reaffirming the University’s commitment to fostering scholarship that centers marginalized voices and promotes peace through everyday ethical practice.
