About Ashram
… And when old words die out on the tongue, new melodies break forth from the heart; and where the old tracks are lost, new country is revealed with its wonders.
Ashram, a Sanskrit word adopted into Bangla, means a hermitage where sages and ascetics pursue enlightenment. Inspired by this idea, the Ashram magazine was founded in 2009 as a platform for Bangladeshi-Canadian writers to explore creativity and celebrate cultural identity.
It was originally published as a monthly print magazine in Bangla and distributed mostly in Ottawa and Montreal. Since 2017, it has been published online in both Bangla and English to help bridge the linguistic divide between Bangla-speaking and other Canadians.
Ashram is dedicated to promoting inclusive literary conversation by showcasing fiction and nonfiction by established and emerging writers from Canada and elsewhere. Through this platform, writers are encouraged to push boundaries and present ideas that inspire readers to question and collaborate.
Ashram also acknowledges that its virtual home in Ottawa is on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation, and will honour this recognition by actively building relationships with Indigenous writers.
Masthead
Editor and Publisher
Kabir Chowdhury
Editorial Board
Brian Graham: Retired federal public servant. Product of Ottawa public school system, Brian has a keen interest in the history and literature of diverse countries and has written about language cultural history.
Meher Nigar: Based in Ottawa, Meher is a former professor of the University of Dhaka, where she taught Bangla literature. She studied literature in Australia and maintains an interest in diverse literary traditions.
Monis Rafiq: Editor of the Toronto-based weekly Bangla Kagoj and Coordinator of the Toronto Multicultural Film Festival. Monis has studied and taught English literature, as well as directed two short feature films and three documentaries.
Rajnish Sharma: Specializes in gender and empowerment issues. Active in Ottawa, she writes on rights and social justice, bringing an international perspective, including insights from South Asia.
Technical Adviser
Sabbir Ahmed: Software developer and a graduate of the University of Ottawa. He has extensive experience delivering analytics solutions at IBM in Ottawa.
Social Media Coordinator
Ila Nabi: Undergraduate student of media and film studies at Emerson College, Boston, USA. She has written film reviews and critical essays.
Contact
4304 Stella Crescent,
Ottawa, ON, K1J 8T7,
Canada
ashrambanglamagazine@gmail.com
1(613) 282-3638